Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1129 - 1122: Existence Is Reasonable

Chapter 1129: Chapter 1122: Existence Is Reasonable

The airboat, as usual, landed at Rivermouth Skyport, where the members of the Advance Team had come to the dock to wait for its arrival. Princess Nina stood silently beside Luo’er, placing her hand on his head. To onlookers, they seemed more like a mother and her intimate son rather than a princess and a guest.

Once the airboat was secured, the Dwarves from High-peak opened the cabin door, docking it with the gangway. Li Si stepped off the airboat, walked up to the dock and, upon seeing Luo’er, immediately displayed a wry smile, "I had just gotten back to my station when I was sent here straight away. I seem to have spent all my time on airboats recently. I might as well submit a request to Headquarters to assign an airboat to follow you guys around so you can hop on and leave whenever you wish."

"Alright, enough of the sardonic comments. This time we do have an important person that we need to bring back to the station," Luo’er said, stepping forward and shaking his head.

"The important person wouldn’t happen to be Princess Nina, would it? It is an honor to meet you, Princess Nina," Li Si said, bowing respectfully to Nina.

"You’re too kind, Mr. Li Si," Nina replied with a light smile.

"It’s not my mother, but her," Luo’er said as he stepped aside, revealing Xia Yue to Li Si.

"You..." Li Si gazed at the delicate-looking Xia Yue, his facial expression changing rapidly, as if he had something to say but held back.

"Before you say anything strange, this is Lord Xia Yue. Mind your words and do not speak indelicately to offend him," Luo’er cautioned.

"Lord Xia Yue?" Li Si mumbled, eyeing Xia Yue with a puzzled look.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Li Si, the Chief Secretary of the front-line Headquarters," Xia Yue greeted with a slight smile, giving a respectful nod.

"How do you know my name... wait!" Li Si stared wide-eyed in shock and asked, "Why do you speak Chinese?"

"Hmm-hm," Xia Yue didn’t reply but instead smiled with her eyes narrowed.

"Luo’er!" Li Si looked to Luo’er, seeking an explanation with his inquiring gaze.

"Uh, this Lord Xia Yue, is the important person I mentioned. We’ll talk about her on the airboat, but in any case, we need to take her back with us first," Luo’er said after clearing his throat.

"Fine, fine," Li Si took a deep breath, swallowed hard, and turning to Xia Yue, said, "Then, Lord Xia Yue, please, come aboard."

"Thank you, Mr. Li Si," Xia Yue replied politely with a nod, and then confidently walked towards the airboat.

It was only then that Li Si noticed she was barefoot, her pure white feet stepping on the muddy ground.

"Isn’t it time for you all to go home as well?" Li Si asked, turning his head to look at the rest of the group.

Hearing his words, the crowd exchanged looks and then turned their gaze toward Luo’er. While they all wanted to return, they would stay if Luo’er wished to remain.

"Let’s head back. We’ve indeed been away for too long," Luo’er nodded, and everyone immediately felt relieved and rushed toward the airboat.

"Mom, I..." Luo’er turned around to look at Nina.

"Go on, go on. Didn’t you say you’ve all grown up now? Why keep fretting over your mother?" Nina said, her eyes betraying her reluctance to let go, but she decided to release her hold. While adjusting Luo’er’s appearance, she spoke contrarily.

"Mom, you must come visit us at the station," Luo’er earnestly said.

"Yes, I’ll make sure to visit once I get the chance," Nina smiled and promised.

"You must come even if you don’t get the chance..." Luo’er muttered, looking down.

"You...," Nina felt a warm surge in her eyes and a knowing smile emerged upon hearing Luo’er’s petulant remark.

"If you’re not going out, spend more time with your sister and guide her properly. Don’t let her behave so unrestrainedly anymore," Nina advised.

"And what if she misses you?" Luo’er asked.

"Alright, alright, I will come to see you. Honestly..." Nina said reproachfully, but her eyes were brimming with smiles.

Thus, with Nina’s farewell, Luo’er reluctantly walked toward the airboat. As she watched her son’s departing figure, Nina’s nose suddenly felt sore and her eyes swiftly reddened.

"Princess Nina, please be assured, we will take good care of Luo’er," Li Si comforted her.

"Thank you, Mr. Li Si, and all the gentlemen at Headquarters," Princess Nina said, wiping her tears with a handkerchief as she spoke.

"It’s only natural," Li Si nodded in response, "Luo’er is one of us, and it’s our duty to take care of him."

Thus, the airboat hardly stayed at the skyport for too long, ascending back into the air directly after unloading the goods for Ilanadale, then turning around and flying off towards the northeast.

Aboard the airboat, Luo’er gave a rough explanation of Xia Yue’s origins, which left Li Si stunned for quite a while, unable to recover.

"Luo’er," Li Si said with a somewhat lacking confidence, "you all have been in this world so long, you’re starting to believe in ghosts and deities. We’re staunch materialists, you know."

"Xia Yue is not a ghost or deity; according to our understanding, her existence is quite logical," Luo’er replied.

"How so?" asked Li Si.

"Well," Luo’er pondered for a moment, then looking at him, asked, "Have you ever used a virtual machine to go to a Virtual Battlefield?"

"I have, I once served as a judge for a final assessment," Li Si nodded and said.

"Okay, in the Virtual Battlefield, everyone who enters can do as they please, right?" Luo’er inquired.

"Pretty much, the students always like to mess around when they’re not in class," Li Si nodded and said.

"So, in the Virtual Battlefield, all sorts of weapons and so-called magic are essentially just programs, right?" Luo’er asked.

"Right!" Li Si answered.

"Then, this world is primarily controlled by artificial intelligence, correct?" asked Luo’er.

"Hmm, they mainly maintain the order of virtual space, occasionally fixing a BUG and meanwhile creating several more. What’s all this about?" Li Si responded, nodding his head.

"Now, if we assume Magic World is a virtual world, then deities are akin to the artificial intelligence of the virtual world. They were created by the Ancestors, obey the Ancestors, are bound by divinity—that’s the concept of a deity. It’s not some ethereal notion, but a tangible reality," Luo’er explained.

"That’s a bit hard to grasp," Li Si said, lowering his head in deep thought.

"We can understand it as magic being equivalent to a program, and the deities formed by magic being equivalent to artificial intelligence formed by programming. Xia Yue is essentially artificial intelligence; she’s not dangerous to us, and can even be beneficial," Luo’er stated.

"How can she be beneficial to us?" Li Si asked, frowning and staring at Luo’er.

"As long as it’s advantageous to the Elf Planet Project requirements, I can help you with everything!" At that moment, an elegant yet slightly childish voice spoke up, startling both men in the corner.

Following the voice, they saw Xia Yue standing with her hands behind her back, smiling at them.

"How do you know about the Elf Planet Project?" Li Si asked in confusion, casting a suspicious glance at Luo’er.

"It’s a long story," Luo’er said, shaking his head helplessly.

"This airboat isn’t bad at all. It’s surprising that these inferior failures have mastered anti-gravity technology so quickly. I really underestimated them initially, but it also highlights the absurdity of the Tana Plan," Xia Yue commented casually as she inspected the airboat with her hands still behind her back.

"Inferior failures... are you referring to the Dwarves?" Li Si asked, furrowing his brow.

"Just like Luo’er said," Xia Yue completely ignored Li Si’s question and walked straight to Luo’er. She then looked up at Li Si and said, "I am a deity of this world. Isn’t it unsurprising that I know about your affairs and speak your language?"

"How can you prove that you are a deity of this world?" Li Si pressed on.

"How should I prove it? Would you like me to shoot down this airboat, or perhaps you want me to summon Scouring Sky?" Xia Yue maintained her smile, speaking with serenity.

"Without proof, how can I believe you." Li Si said with a frown.

"Even if I proved it, you’d still think I was merely a Mage. So, is it my words you don’t trust, or Luo’er’s?" Xia Yue countered.

"Don’t try to drive a wedge between me and Luo’er," Li Si said.