Finale (Part 2)

Soon, Luo Wei led everyone to the basement of the old mansion.

The familiar dim and cramped basement was nowhere to be seen, replaced instead by a vast, silver-gray space.

Like the floors above, this area had many rooms, but the doors here were made of metal, some even barred, resembling prison gates meant to hold captives.

"Uh... is this sturdy enough...?" Evelyn stepped forward and lightly tapped the metal door, clearly realizing what this place was meant to contain.

"The wooden doors upstairs didn’t look that sturdy either," Luo Wei remarked, unconcerned. "Yet those seemingly flimsy doors could withstand the witch’s city-leveling explosion capable of destroying Saint Callen."

In other words, the system’s creations were always top-tier.

Tilis suddenly appeared before the group, turning to Luo Wei. "The second basement level is the same, but the third level..."

"What about it?"

"You should come see for yourself..."

Suppressing his curiosity, Luo Wei followed Tilis with the others.

Soon, they arrived at the third basement level.

It was a pure white space, seemingly boundless.

The others looked even more stunned, but Luo Wei, having seen this before, remained the calmest.

"If that’s the case..." Luo Wei mused, "the first two levels must be for containing Old Ones, while this one is reserved for Outer Gods... or their avatars..."

"You’re not saying we have to fight something like the Mother of Abundance again, are you...?" Just the thought of that endless black tide from that day made Evelyn’s scalp tingle.

"Congratulations, you guessed right," Luo Wei said, spreading his hands.

"So, do you already have a target in mind?" Tilis asked curiously.

Luo Wei skimmed through the system’s updated list of urgent anomalies, scanning the "heavyweight" names.

Finally, his eyes landed on one—"The Black Pharaoh."

"Hehehe, it’s you then!"

The Crawling Chaos, Nyarlathotep’s earthly avatar.

For the sake of world peace! This mischievous brat had to be locked in the basement and punished severely!

Luo Wei, the Chosen of Chaos, let out a sinister chuckle worthy of Nyarlathotep himself.

The tables had turned!

Despite such "grand ambitions," ever since that night stargazing in the Demon Valley, Luo Wei hadn’t heard Nyarlathotep’s whispers again. The entity seemed to have lost interest in him...

He had no idea where to find it now.

For the third playthrough, Luo Wei at least had a new goal.

But capturing Nyarlathotep was just a small part of it. What Luo Wei truly wanted to uncover was the mystery of his own origins...

He was growing increasingly convinced that the world’s will had crafted this "game" specifically for him—to hone his abilities and guide him step by step in resolving the chaos caused by the world’s convergence...

So... what kind of shady deal did he have with this world?

Luo Wei wanted the truth.

"Sorry I’m late."

Eleya’s voice pulled him from his thoughts as she appeared beside him.

"This place reminds me of the Abyss of Seals," Eleya murmured, gazing around. "It’s the power of the origin..."

Her expression grew distant as she recalled what happened deep beneath the Black Forest’s abyss—and that beam of "light."

Luo Wei, who had once saved her, was the light in her spirit.

But when he revealed such power and promised to save this broken world—

He became the light in reality as well.

Eleya’s smile turned wistful. The light she had desperately sought had been right beside her all along...

"The busy bee finally returns to the hive," Luo Wei teased.

"The Church and the Empire were on the brink of war. There’s still so much to do to mend things," Eleya sighed. "My mistakes must be fixed by my own hands. I’m sorry, Luo Wei... I might be this busy for a long time..."

"It’s fine," Luo Wei said. "Just coming home now and then is enough for me."

"But I still feel guilty..." Eleya shook her head helplessly.

Since moving back to the old mansion, she had spent so little time at home, and the workload only grew heavier... Yet she never wanted it to be this way...

"Don’t worry about it," Luo Wei joked. "Besides! Once we start traveling the world together, you’ll be even busier—so busy you’ll question your life choices! Don’t go quitting on me then~"

"Of course not," Eleya chuckled. "With you by my side, I won’t even feel the exhaustion."

"Oh, right," Luo Wei remembered something. "Has Ophelia said anything lately?"

After returning from the Black Forest, though Eleya remained the dominant personality, Ophelia hadn’t disappeared. Twice, she had emerged to spew venom—only to be swiftly silenced by Luo Wei.

"She wants to negotiate with you," Eleya said with a faint smile. "Seems she’s still unwilling to accept things as they are."

"Negotiate?" Luo Wei frowned. "What does she want?"

"She said..." Eleya glanced at Tilis, "...she wants a new body."

"Technically, it’s not hard to arrange," Tilis shrugged. "But it’s up to you two to decide."

"I’m fine either way," Eleya looked at Luo Wei. "I’d like to hear your thoughts."

Luo Wei pondered silently. Separating the two souls wasn’t a bad idea—after all, talking to Eleya while knowing Ophelia was listening always felt a bit odd...

But he kept his expression neutral, clearing his throat solemnly.

"Ahem..."

"It’s not as simple as the witch makes it sound! Soul separation is an extremely complex procedure!"

"Letting her out might also bring unnecessary risks and burdens."

"More importantly, she’s in no position to negotiate with me." Luo Wei fixed Eleya with a stern gaze. "If she truly wants a new body, she’ll have to show sincerity—offer a price that satisfies me in exchange."

Eleya nodded. "She hasn’t responded yet, but she can hear us."

"Then let’s ignore her for now," Luo Wei said dismissively. "If she wants my help, she’ll have to beg."

"Beg?"

Luo Wei nodded.

"It’s a matter of attitude. No compromises."

"Oh..."

From the sidelines, Evelyn nudged Helena. "See that? That’s called PUA. Your brother’s a real piece of work!"

Helena blinked at her, nodding vaguely in understanding.

When they returned to the living room, dusk had already fallen.

The setting sun cast its glow across the city, bathing it in a magnificent and warm shade of rose gold.

In the kitchen, Helena assisted Luo Wei, and soon, a table full of delicious dishes was laid out.

Once Luo Wei and Helena took their seats, everyone gathered around the table, chatting animatedly about the changes beneath the old mansion.

Yet, despite the feast before them, no one reached for their utensils.

"Hmm? Feels like something's missing..." Tilis mused, rubbing her chin.

"Ophelia isn't back yet..." Evelyn muttered, eyeing the spread of food. "Maybe we shouldn't wait for her, or everything will get cold..."

"Why is she so busy? It's already evening..." Helena pouted in frustration. "Luo Wei went through all this trouble to cook for us, hoping we could have a proper reunion. She's really something!"

"Probably busy with preparations for the coronation," Eleya said, smiling in understanding. "The Vignar Empire hasn't had a female ruler in a long time. And with the aftermath of the capital's unrest still lingering, she has plenty of internal and external threats to deal with. Security is also a major concern—if I were her enemy, I’d definitely seize this moment to stir trouble."

"Oh..." Helena’s cheeks puffed up in annoyance. Though she couldn’t argue with the reasoning, her irritation remained.

"She’s busy ruling a nation, after all. Who has time to sit around eating and drinking with us?" Evelyn’s tone dripped with sarcasm. "If she doesn’t come, so be it. She’s about to become the esteemed Empress, the supreme ruler of Vignar, the leader of the continent’s most powerful nation. Such a busy, important figure—we should all be understanding and not hold her back, right?"

Luo Wei silently glanced at Evelyn, thinking, Teacher, you really know how to twist the knife...

"Ugh, forget waiting! Let’s just eat!" Tilis urged impatiently. "I still have experiments to get back to!"

"Let’s wait a little longer..." Luo Wei sighed, his gaze lingering on the mansion’s front door, silently willing that familiar figure to appear.

The others exchanged glances but obliged, waiting patiently with him.

Night slowly descended, leaving only the faintest trace of twilight in Saint Callen’s sky.

Finally, Luo Wei gave up. He exhaled in disappointment. "Let’s eat. The food’s getting cold..."

But just as he lowered his head, the door handle jiggled slightly.

"Sorry I’m late."

The door creaked open, and Ophelia stepped inside, her expression apologetic.

"Things have been so annoying lately—traffic jams everywhere," she complained. "Even the riverside road in the West District was backed up for two kilometers. I almost had them teleport me back..."

"That’s because of your coronation," Eleya said with a smile. "Saint Callen must be flooded with visitors, even from other countries."

"Yeah, that’s right." Ophelia nodded, then spotted the empty seat beside Luo Wei.

She walked over, her light-colored eyes still filled with remorse. "Really, Luo Wei, you’re not mad, are you?"

"Of course not," Luo Wei shook his head.

"Luo Wei was so disappointed earlier!" Helena huffed. "He might not show it, but he was definitely heartbroken!"

"Come on..." Luo Wei shot her a look. "It’s not like we have to see each other every day. Don’t make me sound so clingy..."

"Then who was it just now, looking like a lonely old man?" Evelyn teased, grinning. "So pitiful, so forlorn~"

Annoyed, Luo Wei stuffed a shrimp ball into her mouth. "Just eat! Stop talking nonsense!"

Though he’d silenced Evelyn, the table erupted into laughter as everyone joined in, poking fun at his earlier expression.

Luo Wei massaged his temples in exasperation.

Ophelia’s lips curled into a bright smile as she leaned close to his ear.

"That’s a lie. You are that clingy. You did miss me."

Luo Wei scoffed. "You’re always so busy, never coming home. What made you decide to join us tonight?"

Ophelia’s smile widened.

"Because I missed you too!"

Once Ophelia settled in, the dinner table buzzed with lively discussions—steam engines and blueprints, the latest designer handbags in Saint Callen’s boutiques, secrets of the Church and the Light God, even heated debates over whether tomato and egg stir-fry should include sugar. No matter the topic, it inevitably dissolved into cheerful chaos.

Yet, despite the noise, the warmth was undeniable.

Luo Wei couldn’t stop smiling.

This is what home feels like...

Under the clear moonlight, Saint Callen’s night sky was unusually cloudless, the stars shining as brilliantly as the city’s countless lights.

And so, laughter and joy lingered in the old mansion beneath the starry sky, lasting long into the night.