207. Farewell, Yavanna (Part 2)
Bang!
Yavanna took a punch to the side of her face—just enough force to hurt without inflicting real injury.
「…Huh?」
She raised a hand, touching the spot where she was hit.
Her cheek burned hotly.
"Controlling the force is a hassle..." Li Aozi said, rubbing his knuckles irritably. "Does it hurt? Are you awake now?"
Yavanna lifted her head to look at Li Aozi, her eyes brimming with tears. She wore a wronged expression as if asking, 'Why did you hit me?'
"Sometimes your thinking is too extreme. I don't even know what to do with you. Guess that's the flaw of being a society citizen."
Li Aozi grabbed her by the arm and led her over to some nearby steps. They sat down together.
"Come here, Yavanna. Take a seat."
Though puzzled, Yavanna gathered up her skirt and obediently sat beside him.
Li Aozi raised his hand out of habit, as if reaching for a cigarette. But it had been too long since he quit—he had none on him. Giving up, he turned and said:
"Let me tell you something: nobody is born 'needed.' Once upon a time, the world had no life, no light, no darkness. Everything was just a muddle—nothing romantic about it."
Yavanna said, "But if I'm not needed, then what's the point of my existence?"
"There is no meaning. If the world didn't have Yavanna, it wouldn't stop turning. Li Aozi wouldn't necessarily be sad if Yavanna died or left. But that doesn't mean you aren't needed."
Li Aozi spoke plainly:
"First off, a fact: You once had a talent I needed. But I've already acquired it."
"So… I'm no longer important to you?" Yavanna responded despondently. "Turns out I'm destined to be cast aside…"
"Yes." Li Aozi glanced at her without mercy. "You've lost your value to me. From now on, I won't see you as someone of special significance."
"I really am a failure…" Yavanna forced a bitter smile. "Now even you plan to abandon me."
"Exactly because you no longer have any value—"
Li Aozi continued:
"—we can truly become friends."
"…Friends?" Yavanna was taken aback.
"Yes. You have no further use to me, yet here I am, chatting with you anyway. What do you think I'm getting out of it?"
Turning to face her, Li Aozi said:
"Yavanna Huskisin, though you've come at me with fervent declarations of love, I don't believe those are your real feelings. For certain reasons, you've confused gratitude with affection."
"Even so, I don't dislike you, Yavanna Huskisin. Our relationship is less than lovers, but more than mere friends."
"You've lost your usefulness to me, so all that's left is our pure bond of friendship."
He patted Yavanna's shoulder and said:
"You're your own person, meant to live your own life. You're not here for anyone else's sake. You exist to find the meaning of your own existence."
"You're not my girlfriend, nor are you my property. You're free, and you're excellent, even if you lack the power of [The Tailor]. You're still a capable person."
"I… In what way am I excellent?" Yavanna whispered. "I'm clumsy, insecure, jealous, and hopelessly romantic…"
"Right, you seem useless at a glance," Li Aozi said. "But precisely because you have nothing, there's so much more you can gain."
Yavanna gazed at him with her web-patterned eyes, stunned.
Li Aozi spoke earnestly:
"If you think you're dumb, study more to raise your intelligence. If you feel insecure, beat the snot out of [Secret Society] and regain your confidence. If you're prone to jealousy, find a soul mate absolutely loyal to you. If you've got a love-obsessed mind, then date around more—experience will clear your head."
"Honestly, I have no idea why someone with your background—a president's daughter, a top university graduate, a [Society] congresswoman, one of the first from Azure Star to explore space, with fair skin, long legs, plus farming and weaving skills—would be insecure."
"But I do know if your only fear is 'not being needed,' that's pointless."
"You don't have to be needed by anyone. All you have to do is need yourself. If you have more to give, then think about others' needs."
He said a lot in a plain, straightforward manner:
"Yavanna Huskisin, Li Aozi does not need you. This world doesn't need you. No one will die without you. The one who needs you most is—you yourself."
Li Aozi looked into Yavanna's eyes. They shimmered like pools of water.
"I'm sorry…"
Yavanna's voice rasped with sobs:
"I… I was worried you'd hate me…"
"The one you should be apologizing to is yourself," Li Aozi said. "The more guilt and insecurity you carry, the more you hurt yourself."
"It wasn't your doing that forced you to devour Daisjia. It was those Tianhuan devils. How can you blame yourself? If anything, you should seek revenge on them."
"[Secret Society] turned you into [The Tailor]. You shouldn't hurt or destroy yourself. You should help fellow victims, stand together, and stand against [Society]."
"You're not living for someone else. You're living for you."
"So… the only person I've failed is myself."
Yavanna bit her lip, laughing and crying at once.
"Thank you, Mr. Li Aozi." She wiped away her tears, her smile radiant, finally at peace. "I once believed 'I'm Li Aozi's woman.' That would give my life worth and meaning, and I worked so hard for it."
"But now, I understand. I'm not your possession. I don't have to strive for that goal."
"If I really want to be your partner, I should truly understand you, let you understand me, not just cling desperately… That's irritating, isn't it?"
Li Aozi shrugged without replying—no words needed.
"Someday, I hope the person standing before me isn't an insecure, timid, love-crazed [Tailor] who clings to romance to prove her worth."
He said:
"I hope to see a self-confident, brilliant Yavanna Huskisin who lives life to the fullest, earning admiration in her own unique, beautiful, and charismatic way."
Listening quietly, Yavanna abruptly stood up.
She lifted a hand to her pinned-up hair, grabbed her dry, gray locks, and ran her fingertips down them.
Slash—
In an instant, Yavanna's long hair was cut. She whipped her head, leaving a neat shoulder-length style.
Oddly enough, when she wore it long, her gray-white hair looked like dead straw, chalky and dull.
But now, short hair framing her shoulders looked refreshingly neat, no longer unsettling. Instead, it bore a clear, almost reed-like hue.
"Seems short hair suits me better."
Yavanna gathered the cut hair and tossed it into the nearby blue candle flame, burning it completely.
"Li Aozi, you're right."
She turned, looking at Li Aozi with newfound vigor in her voice. Her web-like eyes shone brightly:
"I'm not worthless. I still have—Yavanna Huskisin—myself. I'll always need me!"
"Short hair does look nice," Li Aozi remarked. "But making drastic decisions by cutting your hair and drastically changing your personality—is that some kind of magic?"
"Who knows?"
Yavanna laughed.
"Anyway, since it might be four hundred years before we meet again—'Yavanna Huskisin' is way too long. You'd forget."
"So?" Li Aozi asked.
"So let's change it."
Taking a few more swipes at her new short hair, giving it a bold and spirited look, Yavanna reached out to Li Aozi:
"Reintroducing myself—I'm Dai Yavanna. Not anyone else's, but representing only Yavanna herself."
"Li Aozi."
Li Aozi shook her hand and said:
"Lucky you—I'm the reincarnation of [God of Reality] Leozi. Now pay me fifty bucks, and I'll tell you about my grand revenge plan…"
"Hahaha…" Dai Yavanna laughed openly. "Then, see you in four hundred years, dear Leoz."
Virlia's figure emerged, opening a teleportation array and waiting silently.
Dai Yavanna turned to bid Li Aozi farewell, then stepped forward resolutely.
"Changed your hairstyle?" Virlia asked.
"Yes."
"As a mere style, it might not look great, but on you, it's perfect."
Virlia activated the array:
"Time to go."
Dai Yavanna nodded, stepping calmly into the formation.
"Actually, you're not alone."
Li Aozi suddenly said:
"Daisjia just told me: 'I'll always watch over you, silly sister.'"
Dai Yavanna's shoulders trembled for a moment. Then, with a determined look, she continued onward, vanishing into the teleportation.
"She changed so much all at once—did you cast a spell on her?" Virlia asked curiously.
"Friendship is magic," Li Aozi said. "Facing [Society] isn't easy—take care out there."
"Thank you—though you should be even more careful."
Virlia nodded, solemnly reminding him:
"White Candle Star is on the brink of disaster. [Mechanical Society]'s Mashgegangis coming soon, so you'd better leave quickly."
"I see." Li Aozi replied calmly. "Miss Virlia, Dai Yavanna mentioned that a hundred years ago, you fought against [The Tailor] to defend White Candle Star. Why run now from [Mechanical Society], which is surely weaker than [Secret Society]?"
"First of all, a hundred years ago, my power wasn't yet reduced to mortal levels. Though [The Tailor] was strong, they didn't have backing from [Secret Society]. Even among the Kappa-tier then, no one could match them, but I was at Omega-tier and could fight. Now, I'm not who I was."
Virlia spoke matter-of-factly:
"But that's not you. And this time is different—[Mechanical Society] is physically nearby. Even if the parliamentary members they send are only Zeta-tier, their energy is infinite. Meanwhile, your Kappa-tier is fighting off-planet. You can't beat them."
"But," Li Aozi said, "this planet has my friends, my property, my village and settlers, and a lot of people depending on me."
"Doesn't matter. I understand your feelings, but that's the reality."
Virlia sounded detached, even numb:
"We can recover the land if the people survive. Abandon those things and leave as soon as you can. Life is what's important."
"I don't want to lose my land or my people."
Li Aozi said calmly:
"Since the Unbound have such strong intelligence, you must know where [Mechanical Society] plans to descend."
"You might fool some kid, but don't fool yourself… Li Aozi, you're not really Leozi. I'm sure of it—he was personally killed by [Secret Society]'s Gaia, beyond the Abyss."
Virlia guessed his intentions:
"You think you're special? This universe is full of special people. You're nothing in comparison. I'm only warning you out of respect for Yavanna. You can't beat those councilors, even if they're only Zeta-tier. This isn't your fight. Leave."
"It's not about whether it's my fight," Li Aozi said. "I can, so I will."
"You're so strange." Virlia shook her head, flicking him a note. "Then I'll just tell Yavanna you died so she won't grieve for four centuries."
Li Aozi glanced at the address on the paper—it wasn't far. It listed all sorts of parliamentary members, jurors, and citizens.
Plenty of small fry, many not even at Alpha-tier.
"Thank you for your concern."
As Virlia stepped into the teleportation, Li Aozi called out to her back:
"Too bad—I'm immortal."
As he finished, Li Aozi removed his exoskeletal headpiece and opened his system interface:
[Hey, piglets, get moving!]
Layered Abyss Volume—045. Elai 'Elemental Architect':
[You enjoy the following racial growth modifier:]
"Architect Angel"—Elai Spiritfolk possess unparalleled comprehension and adaptability to the cosmic continuum, innately carrying the potential of a [Architect].
Additionally, their potent spiritual power grants deeper insight into both material and spiritual realms. You can communicate with spirit creatures and the void without awakening your spirit energy.
Once you take the [Architect] job, for every 5 levels gained in your main class, you gain +10 to all attributes.