Chapter 633 - Leyvi and Tal (Patreon)

Maybe this is how most people would react if they met a Protector unexpectedly. Leyvi looked at Tal still sitting on the ground and thought to himself.

“Master… how did…” Tal’s gaze kept alternating between Leyvi and Jade.

At first he had assumed the woman accompanying Leyvi was simply an Envoy. Who would have thought it was Protector Jade herself? What shocked him even more was that his master casually referred to her as Sister Jade.

Did his master start recruiting sisters now in addition to wives? The idea felt completely absurd, yet the easy way the two of them spoke to each other made it somehow believable. Tal could only stare, his carefully built image of the distant and untouchable Protectors crumbling further with every second.

“Well… she wants to be my big sister for some reason. I was afraid she might get upset and run away, so I reluctantly accepted,” Leyvi replied casually.

“What? How can you say that? It was your reward for granting my long-time wish. You should be honored to have me as your big sis.” Jade pouted.

Tal blinked hard. Is this really a Protector? The reality in front of him did not match anything he had imagined.

The next moment, Jade took out an array communication device.

“See this? With Lapin’s power integrated, I can now send messages and receive replies almost instantly from all of my subordinates. I can just tell them what to do remotely. I no longer have to stay in the headquarters all the time to do my work. From now on, I’m free from my shackle. I can finally go wherever I want.” She explained the change with clear passion.

“I see. You’ve been holding everything together for a long time. It must have been really hard. Good job, Big Sis. You did well.” Leyvi said softly, his voice carrying quiet sincerity. His hand reached up and patted the top of her head as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Jade froze completely.

She had only been acting for her own amusement as usual. Yet when she heard the gentle praise and felt the caring touch on her head, an emotion she had not felt for a very long time rose up without warning. Her chest tightened. She could hardly believe that such a simple gesture nearly brought tears to her eyes.

Could it be that somewhere deep in her heart she had been wanting to hear words like this? Was the longing really that simple?

Of course, as a high-level cultivator with complete control over her body, she would not actually end up crying. She stopped the tears before they could form. But the feeling itself was real, and it lingered longer than she expected.

Meanwhile, Tal on the ground became even more freaked out inwardly. Master! You can’t do that! She’s a Protector! You can’t disrespect a Protector like that! If she becomes offended, it’s over for us!

However, contrary to his expectation, instead of getting angry, the legendary woman simply let out a genuine smile, as if she truly enjoyed Leyvi’s pat.

The sight left him staring at the scene in complete silence.

Relax, Tal. There’s an exception to every rule, and at this moment Master is that exception. If it was anyone else doing this, they would have been punished already. At this point I shouldn’t be surprised anymore when Master does things others can’t. I grew up witnessing these moments. He is an exception in many cases.

“Tal, how long are you going to sit there?" Leyvi turned and asked. "You haven't answered my question yet. I want you to be completely honest.” 

“Oh.” Tal immediately pushed his other thoughts aside and stood up.

When he recalled Leyvi's question, the pressure settled over him once more.

He tried to imagine what it would mean if he accepted.

If he led the investigation and failed to find the true source in time, the Red Eye Craze would continue spreading without any real resistance. The hunting operations would only buy them time. Eventually, either the crazed demonic beasts would overwhelm every city, every region, and every last safe place, or the source of the crisis would gain enough power to act personally.

The entire human population of the Cloud Continent would be wiped out, just as the ancient civilization had been erased before them.

That single thought alone pressed down on every fiber of his being. The knowledge that a single failure under his leadership could end humanity on this continent made his chest tighten until it was hard to breathe. The weight of it was absolute. There was no room for anything else.

Even the greatest chess player could succumb under immense pressure and make a mistake. He wanted to prove himself, but he had to understand his limits.

Tal took a slow breath and lowered his head slightly.

“Master... I don't think I can do it. I'm not ready to lead something of this scale. If I fail, it would mean the end of everything. I will support the investigation to the best of my ability, but I'm just not confident enough to take the leading role.”

It was silent for some moments. Tal did not dare look up, afraid he would see disappointment on Leyvi’s face.

Then a strong hand settled firmly on his shoulder.

“Do you think I would reprimand you or get disappointed just because of this? Hahaha. Of course not. I’m not going to force you into something you feel you can’t handle.” Leyvi said, his voice steady and warm.

Tal looked up. Leyvi was smiling at him the same way he always did. The familiar expression immediately put him at ease. The man before him was still the same person.

Everything he had now had been given and made possible by his master.

If Leyvi and Anda had never appeared before him and Tasya all those years ago, their lives would have been completely different. They had been two orphans barely surviving after a disaster, with no path forward and no one to rely on. Without that chance encounter, both of them might already be gone. 

Despite all the benevolence that had been shown to them, Leyvi had never forced him to do anything beyond his ability. He had always reminded him to live however he wanted. Tal had always been free to exercise his own will. Even now, when the stakes could not be higher, that same consideration remained.

In fact, he would not have complained if Leyvi had simply told him to lead the investigation without asking how he felt. It might even have worked out in the end. But as always, Leyvi put his feelings first.

To Tal, meeting Leyvi remained the luckiest moment of his life.

A firm resolve settled deep in his chest. Even if he was not the one leading the investigation, he would throw everything he had into solving it. He would leave no effort unused, no path unexamined. Whatever role he was given, he would meet it with everything he possessed.

Afterwards, Leyvi spent some time with Tal, talking about various things, especially his children. Tal expressed his regret that he had not been able to watch them grow up.

Leyvi also took the chance to congratulate Tal on his breakthrough to the Core Formation Realm. Tal had reached that stage five years earlier, but this was the first opportunity Leyvi had to say it face to face.

Tal was actually quite worried when he noticed that Leyvi’s cultivation had not progressed at all. The lack of any visible advancement made him fear his master might have run into a serious physical bottleneck. The thought stayed with him until Leyvi noticed the concern and quickly set it to rest.

He revealed the existence of his unknown special core and explained how slowly it cultivated, leading to his decision to focus on Spiritual Cultivation. Tal listened carefully. He was not surprised that Leyvi possessed a special core. After all, he had one himself. What truly caught him off guard was the unknown part.

After so many years, the various special cores and the conditions required to form them had long been catalogued. No new types had been added to the list for a long time. Who would have thought Leyvi would become the pioneer of an entirely new kind?

During this time, Tal also grew more familiar with Jade. The nervousness he had felt earlier disappeared completely.

A few hours later, Leyvi’s mental fatigue returned. He excused himself so he could finally take a proper rest. This time he did not need to stay in a hotel. Jade simply gave him access to the house next to Tal’s.

On the other side, Jade did not waste any time. She gathered everyone who had been chosen for the investigation mission, including Tal, and distributed a copy of the jade slip to each of them so they could begin learning the ancient language.

While Leyvi rested for several days, the situation across Cloud Continent continued to shift. In cultivator cities throughout the land, new changes began to take shape once again.