Yarra's Adventure Notes-Chapter 1385 - 171: Returning the Future

Indeed, that’s what Catherine did. During her narration, she intentionally downplayed the significance of the Life Science Research Center during the Goblin Era and was very vague about the Rebirth Plan. She didn’t mention the relationship between Ava’s birth and the calamity known as Divine Punishment at all. Even Sigein’s ending in the story was altered to him leaving the research center and disappearing into the crowd. To all the listeners, this tale was merely an interesting adventure, just a story of a group of people who happened to discover a very ordinary goblin relic and ventured inside. Of course, the only extraordinary aspect of this relic was that it was also a battlefield between two homologous women. Apart from that, there was nothing abnormal, and even that peculiarity disappeared once the two women left. Stories like this, beginning in the Third Epoch, spread everywhere, making it hard to distinguish truth from fiction. The only difference in the story told by the girls was a slightly higher degree of authenticity. Even so, Catherine was even more careful to fabricate a non-existent ending at the tale’s conclusion: they could never find their way back to the research center after leaving it.

After Catherine’s embellishment, even if this story were to spread to the world of the living and become widely known, it would pose no problem. It wouldn’t lead anyone to discover the research center, diluting the potential benefits the center might bring in the future, nor would people covet the knowledge and equipment inside the center, saving the adventure team from future trouble. That’s why Pannis had such a strange smile, saying it was a clever move very much in Catherine’s style.

"Mr. Mil," Pannis said, after whispering with the girls for a while, looking up to address the dazed goblin necromancer, "I’m very sorry for inadvertently reopening your wounds. I must apologize for the turmoil it has caused you emotionally."

"Ah? Oh! No need," the sudden apology startled Mil, pulling him out of his daze. His coarse voice remained unchanged, but his tone was quite different from his usual erratic self: "Actually, I should be thanking you. If it hadn’t been for you, maybe I would have continued on as before and gradually forgotten this history. But with you, I’ve been able to face this past again, had the chance to reflect on my previous actions, and managed to ease some of the hatred in my heart. So, please accept the gratitude of a goblin undead." freewёbnoνel.com

"Goblin undead, huh?" Pannis nodded thoughtfully, "It seems that even though you’ve recalled part of your past, the hatred from before, you’ve ultimately accepted this identity."

"Of course, because it is the truth," Mil said, looking down at his shriveled body and shaking his head with a sigh, "I’m already dead, I’m just an undead, and that is an unchangeable fact. Under the summons of the master, I crawled out of my grave anew. The master didn’t hesitate to suffer a loss of Divine Power year after year, transforming the divine light into Soul Fire. It’s under the warmth of this fire that I can maintain my sanity and escape the cold and pain that comes after death. The past is forever gone, and the World of the Dead is a beginning that has nothing to do with life. Even though I’ve regained my memories, I’m now just a devout believer bathed in the master’s divine light, so you’re right, I’ve ultimately accepted this identity."

"Clap, clap, clap," the Elf dried corpse Sophia began to applaud from the side. Due to the partial restoration of Mil’s memory, his behavior and tone had become grave and meticulous, a complete change from before, which disconcerted the other leaders. Yet, decades of shared experience made everyone happy for him. Especially when they heard that Mil didn’t lose himself in his recovered memories but instead accepted his undead identity, Sophia—the one seemingly least close to Mil but actually the most intimately connected—couldn’t help but clap and celebrate. Although the living members of the adventure team didn’t grasp the full situation, these undead knew all too well how painful it was for an undead to reject their new status. There were precedents, where some souls resurrected as undead clung to their past lives, unable to adjust in time. This conflicted mindset not only caused other undead to instinctively distance themselves but also inflicted continuous severe damage to the soul itself. Eventually, those who couldn’t adjust in time chose self-destruction, extinguishing their Soul Fire and returning to eternal rest.

Sophia, of course, didn’t want to see her old friend of many years take that path. So, after she let go of her worries, she applauded and said, "Idiot Mil, although you seem not to be an idiot anymore, depriving us of a good laughing stock, I still want to tell you, welcome back, no matter what."

"Thank you, Sophia," Mil himself was well aware of the danger and the affection among them. He nodded to his old friends of decades, his gaunt and horrifying face pulling into an even more frightening smile, "Don’t worry, there won’t be any troubles this time. I’m really normal now."

Ava, still getting her hair combed by Pannis, remained expressionless. However, her eyes, narrowed like a cat’s, flashed briefly. Although she didn’t say anything, Pannis seemed to understand something and patted her head comfortingly.

"Ava," likewise, although the girl showed no external reaction, Mil, as her creator, seemed to perceive Ava’s emotions. He walked up to face the artificial girl and rasped, "Thank you, too."

"Unable to comprehend the reason for gratitude," the girl responded in a monotone, "Therefore, gratitude cannot be accepted."

This time, Mil wasn’t confused by Ava’s attitude, fully understanding her thoughts. He smiled frighteningly again and placed his hand on Ava’s shoulder, whispering, "For the last time, I, Goblin Sage Mil, as the Deputy Speaker of the Joint Council, issue an order, preserving all of Ava’s authorizations and lifting all commands including maintaining the research center’s security. From now on, the fate of the goblins is unrelated to Ava. Child, I’m sorry for taking ten thousand years of your life, but from today on, your future is back in your hands. I wish you a forever happy and joyful future."

Ava remained expressionless, but Pannis sensitively felt a quiver in the girl’s muscles, unprecedented in her control of emotions. Pannis stroked her golden hair, smiled gratefully at Mil, and suddenly lifted a cup from the table, exclaiming loudly, "To celebrate Mr. Mil’s return, cheers to all."