Capítulo 638: Chapter 638: Return
The Abyss Lord and the Pope conversed in hushed tones.
"I have a premonition," the Abyss Lord said, "that after he eliminates the God of Darkness, he will leave. And not just a simple departure, but to a place where neither of us can go. Perhaps we will never see him again in this lifetime."
"Indeed," the Pope replied. "It's a pity for the child."
Throughout their recent collaboration, a strong bond had formed between Archimonde and the Pope, something unthinkable in the past. Lin Fan was the link between them, the bridge connecting their worlds.
"Dad..." Ke Lan called out.
This single word, "Dad," pierced Lin Fan's heart, causing it to tremble. Although the time they spent together wasn't as long as with those in other dreams, the affection between them was no less profound. It was, perhaps, even deeper. Though Ke Lan wasn't his biological daughter, he had raised her from childhood, nurturing a deep and abiding love.
"Ah!!!!" Lin Fan turned to look at Ke Lan. This strained, broken "Ah" betrayed his inner turmoil, his uncertainty about how to proceed. He could only harden his resolve and continue down the path before him.
He truly regretted it. He knew from past experiences that forming deep connections in dreams led to unshakeable bonds. He had intended to avoid such attachments, to remain emotionally detached from anyone within the dream worlds.
But that was just wishful thinking. It was impossible to truly achieve.
"I want to eat the food you make tonight," Ke Lan said, forcing a smile. "It doesn't need any special meat, I just want to eat your cooking. Is that okay?" But something about her smile felt different, carrying a hidden meaning unlike her usual cheerful expression.
"Ke Lan..."
"Ah..."
Looking at Ke Lan's hopeful gaze, Lin Fan started to speak, then hesitated. Finally, he steeled himself, shaking his head, unable to utter the words he knew would cause her pain.
"Dad, you promised me," Ke Lan pleaded. "Once I finished my studies and learned my skills, I could stay by your side. You said so yourself. Are you lying to me?"
Lin Fan knew Ke Lan didn't want him to leave. He could even suppress the God of Darkness, refrain from killing him for now. But what would be the outcome? It would only intensify Ke Lan's sorrow. For both of them, it would only prolong the agony.
Ke Lan spoke as if to herself, "I hate being alone. I hate being by myself. When I witnessed that most despairing scene, it was you who took me in, stayed by my side, talked to me, and made me the most delicious food. Slowly, I opened my heart to you, and I came to see you as my only family."
"I remember everything you said. You told me to be kind to others, to be good, and not to do bad things. I listened to you. I had parents before, but they died right in front of me. Later, I investigated and found out they had done many bad things, harmed many people. That's why they were killed."
"I thought about revenge, but what you told me dispelled those thoughts. Because you were with me, you made me feel that no matter where I was in the world, someone would be waiting for me to come home."
"But now, are you abandoning me?"
By now, tears streamed down Ke Lan's face. Her cries were heart-wrenching.
Lin Fan looked at Ke Lan. The God of Darkness, whose head he held captive, struggled and spouted arrogant words. But Lin Fan heard none of it. He completely ignored him.
"Ke Lan, I'm not abandoning you..." Lin Fan said.
But his words felt hollow and inadequate.
"If you're not abandoning me," Ke Lan retorted, "then why are you leaving? I don't want you to leave me."
Lin Fan was speechless. Unskilled with words, he didn't know how to answer Ke Lan's question.
If Xiao Huang (Little Yellow) knew about this situation, he would definitely raise his paw at Ke Lan and say, "Well said! He takes advantage of the fact that I can only bark and can't speak, and heartlessly abandons me."
At this moment, Lin Fan had never felt such anguish. He thought of Old Zhang in Yanhai City, his wife, and then looked at Ke Lan, his beloved daughter. This choice left him utterly lost.
"Ke Lan," Lin Fan said, "there are people I have to find."
"Who?" Ke Lan's face held a self-deprecating expression. Hearing these words, her heart sank. Perhaps she wasn't as important to her father as she thought. Had she been mistaken all along?
"Your mother," Lin Fan replied.
"Mother?" Ke Lan's heart trembled at these words. "Do I really have a mother?"
A shift occurred. Ke Lan's initial despair transformed into anticipation upon hearing about her mother.
"Yes," Lin Fan confirmed.
"Dad, can you tell me about her?"
"Yes. Your mother's name is Mu Qing. She's very beautiful, very gentle, and very loving. If she saw you, she would definitely love you very much."
"Dad, do you have a picture of her?"
"Yes." Lin Fan projected Mu Qing's image into the air.
Ke Lan looked up, studying the image intently, as if wanting to memorize every detail.
"Do you think I look like my mother?" she asked.
"Yes," Lin Fan said. "You do look alike. You're both very brave."
Ke Lan smiled brightly. "Dad, you go. Find Mother. I'm not a child who doesn't understand. I'll take good care of myself. I'll be happy every day. But Dad, you must promise me, you'll come back for me, bring Mother back to me. I want to live with you both forever."
"Okay?"
"Okay," Lin Fan said. "I will definitely bring your mother back to you. And then we'll live together."
"Mm-hmm. I'm not unhappy at all now. I not only have a father, but also a mother. I feel so happy." Ke Lan smiled, a radiant, joyful smile. But behind that smile, a hint of sadness lingered.
Lin Fan stroked Ke Lan's head and kissed her forehead. Then, with a gentle but firm pressure, he crushed the God of Darkness's head. A black orb of light gathered in his hand.
"Ke Lan, this is my last gift to you. Live well."
The black orb transformed, radiating a warm glow, and Lin Fan infused it into Ke Lan's body.
Perhaps... Ke Lan would become the Goddess of Light. And the world would no longer have a God of Darkness.
"Archimonde, Pope, remember, you are my friends, and I am yours. Get along well in the future. Goodbye… It was a pleasure knowing you."
Mission: Complete!
Reward: Elemental Mastery!
Next Arrival: January 1st!
Return!
"Dad..."
Ke Lan watched her father vanish, then slowly crouched down, hugging herself and weeping softly.
The Demon King was dumbfounded by the scene unfolding before him.
What the hell? This wasn't how it was supposed to go. He was promised a conquest of the human world led by the God of Darkness, a resurgence of the Demon race's glory. But what was this?
He's gone! He just left!
Just as he was about to flee, a figure appeared before him. Archimonde smiled, a sinister smile, and before the stunned Demon King could react, swallowed him whole.
"Pope, let's go," Archimonde said, waving his hand as he returned to the Abyss.
The Pope watched Archimonde depart, then turned his gaze to Ke Lan. The remaining light was sacred, holy.
The Goddess of Light was truly born.
From now on, Ke Lan would be the Church of Light's Goddess of Light, the deity of their faith.
The Pope looked up at the sky.
Lin Fan, I, Pope, am your best friend. Rest assured, as your uncle, I will definitely raise your daughter to the world's highest pedestal, making her the one and only god.
Olivia and the others surrounded Ke Lan, gently patting her back.
"Ke Lan, we know you're sad, but your uncle said he'd come back for you."
Ke Lan wiped away her tears. "It's okay. I'll wait. He raised me, cared for me deeply. I'm reluctant, but I know I can't be selfish. He has things to do, people to find. If I keep crying, it means I'm not being understanding, making things difficult for him. As long as I'm happy, my father will be happy. I want him to always be happy, just like he wants me to be happy."
"Hee hee, sisters, am I not very understanding?"
Ke Lan looked at them proudly, as if saying, Praise me, won't you?
Olivia and the others embraced Ke Lan.
They knew that despite her smile, Ke Lan was heartbroken.
"Yes," they said. "Our Ke Lan is the most understanding."
The Village!
When Ke Lan returned to the village, everyone was living their lives as usual, unaware that Lin Fan had left, never to return.
The villagers were excited to see Ke Lan back.
But they couldn't find Lin Fan anywhere.
Honestly… Your daughter is back, and you don't know where you are.
Inside the house.
Ke Lan looked at the familiar surroundings. From now on, she would be alone. Her father's departure made the house feel empty.
She experienced hallucinations.
Her father moving around the house. Whenever she returned, her father would bustle about, preparing a delicious and abundant meal for her.
Tidying up the house, she stumbled upon a small notebook.
Ke Lan sat at the table, flipping through it. She found many names written inside and read them aloud:
"Wife Mu Qing, Old Zhang, Xiao Bao..."
Turning to the last page, a smile appeared on Ke Lan's face.
It turned out that there were so many people waiting for her father where he was going. That meant her father wouldn't be lonely. He had people with him. Thinking of this, Ke Lan felt relieved and let out a sigh, looking up at the ceiling.
Gradually, she became lost in thought.
Lying on her father's bed, hugging the blanket that carried his scent, she slowly drifted off to sleep.
For her, only in this way… could she feel that her father was still by her side.
Yanhai City.
Dorm room.
Lin Fan opened his eyes.
"Ke Lan..."
He looked at the familiar surroundings, but Ke Lan's voice was absent. He got out of bed, went over to Old Zhang, saw him sleeping soundly, and left the dorm. He then went to a small shop and bought a pack of cigarettes.
Rooftop.
Lin Fan leaned against the railing, lit a cigarette, and gazed at the moon in the night sky.
Cough, cough…
He choked on his first puff, feeling uncomfortable.
He put out the cigarette.
"Tastes awful. Who said smoking relieves worries? It just makes you more annoyed."
Even though that was a dream…
No, it couldn't have been just a dream. He would rather believe it was real because he had promised Ke Lan he would bring Mu Qing back to her.
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