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Chapter 128 - One Hundred and Twenty-Six: "Homecoming

Chapter 128: Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Six: "Homecoming

[Five minutes ago]

After Su Ming’an put on "Wang Han’s Human Skin Mask," he immediately headed towards the Mayor’s house from his memory.

He currently had zero Occupation Points, and his Points were less than a hundred; there was no chance at all for Cloning. Committing evil deeds while under the "Shadow" state was also difficult; he certainly couldn’t afford to beat up all the NPCs to gain Occupation Points, losing a significant amount of Favorability, resulting in a loss greater than the gain.

For the time being, he could only rely on himself for any tasks.

He anticipated the situation to be somewhat difficult.

...To protect the good-hearted Players who were left behind, he couldn’t possibly stay by their side at all times; he could only seek help from the NPCs.

As he approached the Mayor’s house, there was a tall wall surrounding it with a thick wooden gate. The wall barely had any gaps, except for a small window that seemed freshly made, near the house next door. He walked towards it, ready to grasp the iron ring on the gate to knock when suddenly, the door in front of him swung open first.

"Creak——"

A rather muffled sound emerged, and the kindly-faced Mayor, leaning on a Dragon Head Cane, looked at him with a friendly smile.

It was as if he had been waiting there all along.

"Ah..." The Mayor’s words confirmed his guess. The old man’s wrinkles bunched up as he smiled, looking genial, like a family patriarch who cares for his younger relatives: "You’ve finally come."

His tone was very gentle, even carrying a kind of allure that made one involuntarily feel close to him.

Su Ming’an, however, was very cautious—he remembered that this Mayor Mitchell’s Favorability towards him hadn’t changed at all from the beginning. He hadn’t even heard a system prompt, so he didn’t even know what the Initial Favorability of the other was.

But the next moment, he heard the other party say something filled with endless nostalgia:

...

"...My dear child, Boris."

...

Su Ming’an was momentarily stunned.

He suddenly heard a system prompt:

[Due to the special prop (Wang Han’s Human Skin Mask), NPCs will recognize your identity.]

[NPC (Mayor Boris Mitchell of Terrily Town), has identified you as (Boris Mitchell’s late son).]

[Note: Within the range of sight, please try not to lose Mitchell’s recognition, otherwise, there will be a significant drop in Favorability and unexpected incidents may occur!]

[Current Mitchell’s Favorability: 80 Points (Familial Affection)]

"Ah." Su Ming’an went along with his words, "I’ve come back."

On the first day, when the Mayor saw his Cloning, he had said he resembled his late son, Boris.

So... was it such a recognition mechanism?

However, the system prompt clearly stated Boris had passed away early... yet the Mayor’s demeanor was as if Boris had just returned home.

Upon hearing his response, the Mayor’s smile seemed to deepen; he switched his Dragon Head Cane to his left hand and shakily extended his hand to support Su Ming’an.

Su Ming’an had no choice but to go along with this display of "fatherly kindness and filial piety," supporting Mitchell as they crossed the threshold together.

He felt a wetness on his face.

...It was raining again.

The door behind them shut with a "thud," carrying with it an eerie chill of spring. Through the suddenly falling rain, he saw two red lanterns hanging at the door swing in the storm—through the misty haze, they shined a blood-red light, like the eyes of a wild beast.

A somewhat resentful voice from the shorter Mayor came from beside him:

"You’ve finally come back... Boris, I’ve waited for you for so long, so long that I almost forgot when you left..."

"..." Su Ming’an was uncertain of the situation and had limited clues; he couldn’t guess why Boris had left and remained silent.

But coupling the term "passed away early," the real Boris might have died on the road after leaving.

"At the beginning, when you wanted to leave, I advised you... The Deity would not forgive a child who betrayed Him, the journey was long, crossing mountains and hills, too hard for you. However, now that you’ve returned... then all is well, rest your feet first, and I will take you to the Deity to atone..."

Listening to the Mayor’s following words, Su Ming’an vaguely understood the reason for Boris’s initial departure.

He tentatively spoke, "I have traveled far to seek the faith in my heart."

He saw the gaze of the Mayor suddenly cast upon him, somewhat sluggish through the drizzling rain.

"...Did you find it?" the Mayor asked.

The steps of the two men halted in front of the door.

Red lanterns swayed gently, emitting a strange light, like a pair of deep, werewolf’s eyes.

Su Ming’an helped the old man’s body, assisting him up the steps in front of them.

"...So, I’ve returned," he said.

...

[NPC (Mitchell), Favorability: 80+10]

[Current Favorability Rating: Love]

...

Mitchell’s smile seemed even more genuine.

He reached out and gently knocked on the door.

"Creak—"

The girl with braided pigtails, with a shy smile, pushed open the door; her beautiful, large eyes looked over with a clarity that resembled the surface of a sea or lake.

...Moli.

Su Ming’an was not surprised to see her.

In fact, from the system prompts, he had already sensed that the description—"she who fell into the coffin"—probably referred to Moli.

Then, according to Clue Two: The Tablet in the Parlor. Those two tablets... are very likely hers.

[Go to her tablet, to the place where she is still alive.]

The task prompt said it like that, the first half as if she was dead, the second half as if still alive.

The Moli before him... Moli at night, what exactly are they considered?

"Daddy, who is this..." Moli’s gaze paused on Su Ming’an for a moment and then moved away.

"I’ve told you about him, my dear child Boris," Mitchell replied with a beaming smile: "When he left home, you hadn’t come here yet... I never thought I’d see him again one day..."

The Mayor seemed quite emotional, and his gaze became more eager.

Su Ming’an understood the meaning behind the Mayor’s words—Moli might not be his biological daughter, but his adopted daughter.

Otherwise, the Mayor would not have used the phrase "come here."

"Hello... come in first," Moli said to him reservedly with a nod, then drew her head back, opening the door to let Su Ming’an inside.

And just at the moment of entering the door.

Su Ming’an suddenly realized something.

—He hadn’t heard... a system prompt from Moli like the Mayor’s, identifying him as any particular NPC.

—Moli had seen through his disguised identity.

But she did not expose him; instead, she let him enter.

What was she preparing to do?

Su Ming’an walked in cautiously, having guessed that this mission was very dangerous. Even with the ability to roll back, he did not want to keep experiencing the feeling of death.

He had always been wary of this girl labeled with "sins" in the system prompts.

Inside, he smelled the faint burning of incense.

Mist floated from the stove; sitting at the table, he indeed saw those two tablets, set aside as if watching the guests.

The writing above remained blurred and indecipherable.

The teacup was set in front of him, with tea leaves floating in the water, and as he looked over, he saw his own reflection drifting on the surface, along with a pair of deep eyes that seemed to appear and disappear.

...It was very eerie.

"Boris, your return this time..." The Mayor seemed poised to launch into another lengthy discourse.

Su Ming’an recalled his purpose and interrupted, "Mayor."

He met the other’s somewhat gloomy eyes, made murky by the steam from the tea.

He instantly corrected himself: "...Father."

The Mayor’s expression softened.

Su Ming’an suddenly realized—perhaps the Mayor hadn’t fully accepted him as his son Boris.

Whenever he showed the slightest deviation, the other’s gaze would darken in a flash, startling him.

Mayor Mitchell was like a person engrossed in his own fantasies, hovering in an illusion on the verge of shattering, losing control whenever reality exceeded his wishes.

Mitchell seemed to hypnotize himself, forcibly acknowledging this "returned child" of his.

Su Ming’an roughly understood how he should speak now.

"Father," Su Ming’an called out the word that felt somewhat alien to him, "During my recent travels, I’ve met many travelers from the outside world."

The Mayor listened intently, with Moli silently by his side.

"They’ve helped me a lot, some of them even owing me a life debt," Su Ming’an touched the teacup, observing the other’s expression, "They kept persuading me to return home... saying that temporary conflicts are just that—temporary. Family ties, on the other hand, are eternal... They were right, nothing is undiscussable. I was too childish when I left in anger, failing to realize what I was losing in faith..."

He lowered his head, sighing softly, "The Deity was correct... I shouldn’t have left because of childish fantasies. This is my home—so I have returned now."

"Father, I will seek redemption, and I also implore you to take me along," Su Ming’an raised his head again, gazing earnestly at the white-haired elder, "All other faiths out there are false, this is where I belong."

As he finished saying this, he successfully heard the system’s prompt:

...

[NPC (Mitchell), Favorability: 90+10]

[Current Favorability Rating: Deep Affection]

[Note: Current Favorability has reached (Family Line·Maximum)]

[Due to the (Ruler) occupation, you can make certain demands of him.]

[Note: Maximum Favorability has its advantages and drawbacks, please act cautiously.]

...

"Before seeking penance from the great Deity, there’s something I would like to ask of you," Su Ming’an looked at the old man whose expression was becoming fervently engaged and said:

"Those travelers from the outside world were once my companions. I would like... before I complete my atonement, to temporarily put an end to their conflict."

...He did not request the annihilation of the Werewolves.

According to the phrasing of the system prompts, these NPCs could only intervene in the players’ conflicts to a limited extent.

They couldn’t intervene in banishment or nighttime activities, as those were governed by formless rules set apart from this town.

But... actions outside of the explicit rules, such as the clashes during the day’s free movement period... are entirely within their power to address.

For they too are a part of this town.

All he needed to do was protect the good faction’s players during the daytime, preventing their elimination due to the Werewolves’ direct attacks.

The real battle... would come at night.

The third night.

He watched the Mayor’s expression, seeing it gradually relax.

"Boris..." the Mayor sighed slightly, "After we’ve put a temporary halt to their conflict, will you truly and sincerely seek penance from the Deity?"

"Yes," Su Ming’an nodded.

He had confirmed his suspicion—Mitchell hadn’t entirely mistaken him for Boris.

Otherwise, Mitchell wouldn’t have agreed to his request without asking for any reasons, without inquiring about what to do after stopping the hostilities, and even without carefully considering the loopholes in his words.

This old man... simply wanted this "Boris" to follow the deity and fulfill his own unfulfilled regrets.

For this, he could ignore anything unnecessary.

Su Ming’an noticed that Moli’s expression was somewhat gloomy. She glanced at him before shifting her gaze away.

"...It’s possible," the Mayor nodded, shakily standing up, leaning on his Dragon Head Cane:

"I will cease the travelers’ conflicts during the day for the time being... but what happens later will still be up to them."

He turned back, looking deeply at Su Ming’an:

"My child," he said, like someone thawing out from being frozen, his eyes filled with fervor:

"...Wait for me to return."

The door was pushed open.

The old man ignored the drizzle and plunged into it, his small frame gradually disappearing into the glow of the red lanterns.

"Squeak—"

Moli got up to close the door, then turned around, her gaze calm as a lake.

Su Ming’an had thought that Moli, who saw through his real identity, would challenge him, but unexpectedly, she suddenly spoke:

"Boris."

She called out this name.

Su Ming’an faintly felt something ominous.

This sense of foreboding... he had experienced it when facing the strange classmate Shen Xue.

Moli stepped forward, her hands bracing on the table. She came very close, her hair carrying the fresh scent of green grass, and though she was a hardworking farm girl, her skin was fair and delicate, shining as she leaned in.

Those clean eyes, like mirrors, he could even vaguely see himself in them.

"Now that you’ve returned..."

Her posture, compared to before, was domineering, her mirror-like eyes as if wanting to etch his entire being into them.

He leaned back slightly, then heard her voice, very close and unmistakably assertive:

"...When do you plan to marry me?"

"..."

Su Ming’an’s scalp tingled.

He guessed that the chat stream would now be frantically posting "Every instance needs a freebie."

But every time, the freebie that came was a rose with thorns.

He dared not be careless—he had reason to suspect that if he gave a perfunctory response, what he might face could be a stab in the back.

...He originally thought that in front of the parlor’s spirit tablet, like "[Alice in Wonderland]" in the Third World, he would automatically enter a small space akin to a single-player instance, with the system assigning him a specific solo mission.

He looked at the girl in front of him, who was very close and had an authoritative look in her eyes.

...But it seems,

that this extremely dangerous single-player instance,

...

—had already started without him realizing it?