[Real World, Site 13]
'Stone of Miracles: Exchange? So, this Longevity Island is another special instance dungeon after all.'
'I wonder why the President suddenly chose this place as a trial ground for the cadets. The reason must be related to the legendary Stone of Miracles.'
'So, the essence of Longevity Island isn't 'Time,' but 'Equivalent Exchange'? The so-called eternal life is just exchanging lifespan for time?'
"The person above hit the nail on the head! Look at the skin of those citizens; they all have plant textures, like they're symbiotic with vines. Plants are famously long-lived species!"
"I suddenly feel like they're like Western fantasy elves? They're all plant-like life forms (dog head.jpg)"
Thanks to the words of Ye Shenlin, everyone—from Chen Kong and the others in the Star Cluster World to the dimensional audience at Site 13 in the real world—basically understood the truth of the entire Longevity Island.
However, this information seemed important to Chen Kong and the others, yet somehow not so important.
Because their biggest problem right now wasn't the secret of Longevity Island, but the inability to find a way to leave the island.
And the only possible place was blocked by the mysterious pyramid before them.
Looking at the dense number of monsters surrounding the pyramid.
Chen Kong and the others didn't believe they could cope as easily as Tendo.
"Lin, what should we do to leave this place?"
Vivian's cybernetic pupils analyzed the pyramid's energy field, her finger unconsciously rubbing the hilt of her Second Hand Rapier—a habit she had when thinking.
In response, Ye Shenlin glanced at the silver-haired figure's back at the top of the pyramid for a moment before turning to look at them, her tone as plain as if discussing the weather.
"You guys... don't have to do anything."
"Don't have to do anything?!"
Vivian looked surprised.
She had considered many answers, but never this one.
But when she looked at the back of the silver-haired figure at the top of the distant pyramid, Vivian suddenly understood.
Even from a long distance, that silver-haired figure radiated an unmatched aura.
Yes, if even Tendo couldn't solve this dilemma.
Then whatever they did, it would be difficult to change the situation here.
Therefore, rather than struggling blindly, they might as well wait patiently for the outcome here.
It must be said that sometimes doing nothing was, in itself, a wise choice.
"Understood."
Vivian nodded, the blue light in her cybernetic pupils slowly subsided, indicating she understood Ye Shenlin's meaning.
The danger and complexity here had exceeded their ability to cope. Continuing to stay would not only fail to help but would also trigger more danger.
Leaving and waiting—that was their best choice right now.
Thinking of this, Vivian turned to look at Chen Kong and Isabella, and said, "Let's go. Let's go to Liu Ma first. His poisoning still needs observation."
Hearing this, Chen Kong opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but ultimately chose silence.
Afterward, he subconsciously looked up at the top of the pyramid.
The energy fluctuations there spread like a tide, each tremor sending a large swath of monsters flying.
Seeing this scene, Chen Kong took a deep breath and said with a bitter smile, "Indeed, all we can do now... is not be a burden."
As he spoke, the group turned and walked toward the outer safe zone. Their footsteps were light but carried a heavy sense of unspoken understanding.
Ye Shenlin paused in place for three seconds, her purple pupils scanning their retreating figures. After confirming that there was no danger here, her figure suddenly merged into the shadows on the ground, completely disappearing from everyone's sight.
The task Tendo had given her was to provide as much assistance as possible to any cadets who came here and to continue doing so until he finished conquering the Longevity Island Fallen Zone.
Bang!
At the very top of the pyramid, an invisible vector field spread out with Tendo as the center.
Wherever the force field passed, the pouncing monsters were immediately thrown back like kites with severed strings, crashing heavily against the stone walls surrounding the pyramid, creating dull thuds.
And as time passed, more and more monster corpses began to pile up on the plaza.
Among these monster corpses were not only the Vine Giant Snakes similar to those in the underground vault, but also the mutated gorillas Chen Kong and the others had just encountered, and even some massive vine beasts the size of small mountains.
But no matter their strength, they were completely helpless against the silver-haired man standing at the top of the pyramid.
After all, in the face of an absolute difference in strength, their prideful vitality... was utterly meaningless.
Looking around, the place where Tendo was currently standing was clearly a plaza resembling an ancient altar.
The plaza was quite peculiar: one half was filled with golden chrysanthemums, their petals faintly shimmering with Star Energy, and the other half was dark purple roses, their thorns condensing strange poison.
These two distinct plants seemed like Yin and Yang, clearly separated yet perfectly joined at the ancient tree in the center of the plaza.
Tendo stood on the edge of the altar plaza, expressionlessly looking at the ancient tree in the center of the distant plaza.
The roots of the ancient tree were embedded deep inside the pyramid, like the claws of a giant dragon.
The crown of the tree spread out on both sides: the left side had golden chrysanthemum leaves, and the right side had rose-colored petals.
As a result, the ancient tree, viewed from a distance, looked remarkably magical, like a scale suspended in the air.
"What, are you still not planning to show your true self?"
"You should know that these shells, which only possess vitality, cannot harm me."
Tendo's gaze was fixed on the open space beneath the ancient tree, his voice carrying a hint of sarcasm.
But in the face of Tendo's words, the distant ancient tree remained unresponsive, like a lifeless object.
At the same time, the surrounding monsters grew even more frenzied, charging toward Tendo once more.
But just like before, facing Tendo's nearly incomprehensible vector field.
Since they only possessed physical means, they couldn't harm Tendo in the slightest.
Soon, the pile of corpses around the plaza visibly grew much higher, and a large amount of dark green blood flowed out of the pile, glistening with a strange sheen in the sunlight.
After blocking another wave of monster attacks, Tendo grew somewhat impatient.
"Wilfred, the former Rose Knight, or perhaps Zodiac Twelve House, Libra, are you sure you still want to play this boring little game with me?"
Finally, after Tendo finished speaking, the wave of monsters that had been frantically charging toward Tendo around the plaza abruptly stopped.
Then, the light and shadow around the mysterious ancient tree began to twist.
Accompanied by a large number of golden and purple light points gathering like fireflies, a familiar figure slowly materialized before the dimensional viewers outside the screen.
The person who appeared was none other than Wilfred, the Rose Gentleman, whom Tendo had encountered on his first day on the island.
Wilfred was dressed in a vintage tailcoat, holding that ornate cane, making his distinctiveness obvious at a glance.
He looked at Tendo with a complex expression, remaining silent for a full half-minute before finally speaking, his voice carrying a subtle trace of fatigue.
"When did you find out?"
In response to Wilfred's question, Tendo smiled and spread his hands, his tone as casual as if discussing the weather.
"From the moment you first appeared before me. Although you played the part very well, unfortunately, your flaws... were too numerous."
Wilfred's face stiffened slightly.
He believed that his performance was no different from the real Wilfred.
What's more, Wilfred had traded his soul, body, memories, and everything else as a bargaining chip to 'Him.'
In a sense, 'He' possessed everything Wilfred should have.
If so, how could there be any flaws?
Ignoring the silent Wilfred, Tendo continued speaking to himself.
"Fate is always fair. To gain something, you must pay the corresponding price."
Tendo paused, taking two steps forward.
In an instant, the golden chrysanthemum petals at his feet were lifted by the wind, spinning around his ankles.
"Although you subtly hinted, both explicitly and implicitly, that you were controlled by the 'Ancient God' of Longevity Island and forced to do these things."
"To me, however, this was a complete and utter lie from the very beginning."
"Why?"
Hearing this, Wilfred subconsciously retorted, after all, he had always felt his disguise was flawless and seamless.
"Because gods do not make deals with ants."
Tendo's gaze suddenly sharpened, like two drawn swords.
"The difference in hierarchy between the two parties is too vast. It is impossible for a mortal to offer a bargaining chip that a deity would value."
"At the same time, for a god to control someone, it doesn't need to be so troublesome, nor does it need to preserve your self-awareness and let you roam freely on the island."
"Your so-called 'being forced' is just an excuse for your identity."
Speaking of this, Tendo looked up at the ancient tree in the center of the distant plaza and said in a deep voice, "Someone who can move freely within the core area of this law, and even mobilize the monsters on the island, shows that your importance to Longevity Island far exceeds the 'believer' category you claim."
"And I can't imagine what kind of believer could move freely right under the eyes of an existence who calls himself a god."
"After all, this kind of behavior is, in itself, an unforgivable offense to a deity, isn't it?"
Hearing Tendo's words, Wilfred was silent for a moment before saying with a serious expression, "Perhaps you are right, but is it not normal for me, as a follower of God, to possess a few special privileges?"
"You must remember that in the religious history of you humans, stories of mortals acting on behalf of the gods in the mortal realm are numerous."
"You may be right, but you overlooked one crucial issue."
"What issue?"
Tendo stopped walking, facing Wilfred from a distance of ten meters, his silver-white hair fluttering slightly without wind.
"Reverence."
"Reverence?"
Wilfred's pupils suddenly contracted, his body subconsciously tensing up.
Because 'He' had already understood what Tendo meant by the 'issue.'
Tendo ignored the change in Wilfred's expression and calmly said, "First, I couldn't perceive any reverence for the divine in your heart."
"Second, your constant emphasis on being a 'believer' was essentially an attempt to place yourself in the position of a 'victim,' lowering my guard."
"Finally, since I know of the existence of the Libra constellation, do you think I wouldn't know what power it represents?"
"Rather than a follower of God, I am more inclined to believe that the one who appeared before me is merely a wretch who sold his body and soul."
"You are nothing more than a vessel for the divine, right, Zodiac Twelve House: Libra."
As the three words 'Zodiac Twelve House' came out of Tendo's mouth, Wilfred's body began to change.
Faint golden patterns, like the markings on the vines before, rose beneath his skin. The tailcoat tore open as his body swelled, and a pair of wings composed of rose vines slowly unfolded from his back. His eyes changed from their previous complexity to a cold and solemn majesty.
"It seems nothing escapes you."
Wilfred's—no, Libra's—voice became deep and heavy, carrying the authority of law.
"Since you have seen through me, there is no need for me to pretend anymore."
The ancient tree in the center of the plaza suddenly trembled. Golden chrysanthemum and rose petals fell simultaneously, forming a massive, illusory scale in the air. The two pans of the scale respectively bore golden 'Life' and purple 'Death.'
The aura emanating from their combination was suffocating.
However, this aura had no impact on Tendo.
Just as Tendo could not sense any reverence for the divine in the former 'Wilfred.'
Tendo himself held no reverence for the divine.
He gazed at the divine-filled Wilfred and smiled, saying, "Alright, now that you are like this, you should be able to tell me your true relationship with Longevity Island, right?"
"Also, why did you deliberately lure me here, and what do you hope to gain from me through 'Equivalent Exchange'?"
Hearing this, Libra's wings flapped gently, the thorns on the vines glinting coldly.
"My relationship with Longevity Island is not complicated. This place is part of my domain; I merely materialized it."
"As for what I want to obtain from you..."
His gaze fell upon Tendo, and he stated a completely unexpected answer.
"...it is your eyes."
"Oh?"
Tendo looked at Wilfred with interest, saying with a half-smile, "What are you prepared to exchange for my eyes?"
"I can grant you power comparable to those eyes, and I can also tell you the whereabouts of the other Stones of Miracles. Wouldn't that be a worthwhile deal for you?"
Hearing this, Tendo suddenly laughed, the sound echoing across the plaza.
"A worthwhile deal? You seem to have misunderstood one thing: I don't need to obtain power from you."
As he spoke, Tendo raised his hand.
A large number of vector light spheres gathered in Tendo's palm, eventually forming a massive vector light blade that pierced the clouds.
"If you want my eyes, then come and take them yourself."
As the words fell, the vector light blade in Tendo's hand slashed down abruptly.
Seeing the ferocious giant light blade approaching, Libra's pupils contracted sharply. The rose wings on his back fiercely spread open, and countless vines shot up from the ground, forming a solid barrier.
A final confrontation of law versus vector officially commenced on the pyramid-top altar.
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