# 2010
Chapter 2010
Return of the Past
An Qingyu waved her hand, and a terrifying pressure descended abruptly. The churning time around her was like waves tugging at Wang Mian's body, carrying him rapidly backward!
Just as Wang Mian was about to be swallowed into the temporal vortex, An Qingyu's fingers flicked gently.
A white chess piece crossed the river of time and collided into Wang Mian's body, vanishing without a trace as it was swept away by the rushing current.
The river of time once again fell into dead silence.
After completing this, An Qingyu withdrew her gaze, her form gradually fading from above the river of time……
……
"Lord Merlin?!!"
In the boundless depths of space, Lin Qiye jerked awake from his sleep!
Drops of cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He immediately searched frantically around him, but in the vast, dark cosmos, only countless stars twinkled silently—there was no other presence……
No one……?
Lin Qiye stood frozen in place, then came to his senses and rubbed the bloodshot corners of his eyes, a bitter expression appearing in his gaze.
"Was it a dream……"
The spark of hope that had ignited in Lin Qiye's heart was extinguished without mercy…… He had dreamed that the Eastern Emperor Bell was struck, and then Merlin had crossed countless dimensions of time to arrive at his side…… He had thought he had finally found that sliver of opportunity, but in the end, it was nothing but an illusion.
Lin Qiye sighed and forced himself to cheer up, preparing to continue using the [Hand of Sovereignty] to fuse with Ame-no-Murakumo and press deeper into the cosmos.
Just as he was about to unleash his Forbidden Ruins, his entire body froze in place.
"Wait……"
Lin Qiye seemed to have realized something. A brilliant light erupted in his eyes as he immediately closed them and dove his consciousness into the Asylum of the Gods……
Asylum of the Gods.
The originally desolate and empty hospital was now bustling with activity.
Those attendants who Lin Qiye had left on Earth before departure had long been forcibly transported back to the hospital with the death of the Seraph Lin Qiye.
At this moment, several hundred figures in deep cyan attendant uniforms were surrounding the courtyard, chattering endlessly at the figure in the center, their noise nearly lifting the roof right off the hospital!
"Oh? Really?"
"……"
"So the patient in the last room was actually [Chaos] in disguise…… That's really bad news."
"……"
"He imprisoned all of you in the underground dungeon and even took over the hospital? That's too much!"
"……"
"Lord Li Yifei, I knew I was right about you. If it weren't for you back then, the Dean alone probably couldn't have turned the tables……"
"……"
"Hundreds of thousands of Black Goat offspring? Has Earth's situation really become this dire?"
"……"
"Oh my, what terrible news……"
"……"
Lin Qiye stood in the corridor on the first floor, staring in daze at the kind figure surrounded by the crowd of attendants, motionless as a sculpture.
At the same time, that kind figure also noticed Lin Qiye off to the side. His lips curved upward as one hand lifted the great wind-blown hat, revealing a balding forehead. Like a gentleman, he gave Lin Qiye a slight bow:
"It's been a long time, my Dean."
Lin Qiye opened his mouth. For him, who had struggled through endless time in the desperate cosmos, a flame of hope finally ignited in his eyes, his voice trembling:
"Lord Merlin!"
Asylum of the Gods, Room Two—The God of Prophecy and Magic, Merlin.
Merlin had been by Lin Qiye's side since before he even became a Night Watch. If Nyx was his half-mother, then Merlin undoubtedly played the role of a learned, gentle, and elegant father figure…… In a sense, Merlin had witnessed Lin Qiye's earliest growth.
Nyx, Merlin—the way they made Lin Qiye feel was completely different from Bragi, Sun Wukong, and Gilgamesh…… The latter three were more like solid and reliable peers and brothers. But Nyx and Merlin would always be his elders. As long as the two of them were present, Lin Qiye felt an inexplicable sense of security.
And now, with Merlin's appearance, all the loneliness, anxiety, and despair that Lin Qiye had experienced in the depths of cosmos vanished without a trace…… It was as if a wandering wanderer had finally found the依靠 of home.
The crowd of attendants, seeing this, immediately cleared a wide path. Merlin carried his staff in one hand while using the other to pull his great wind-blown hat back on. Smiling, he walked up to Lin Qiye.
"Dean, I've more or less了解了the general situation…… It seems that during my absence, a lot has happened."
Lin Qiye smiled bitterly. His gaze swept over the six tightly closed patient rooms.
"……Yes, a lot has happened."
He looked back at Merlin before him and spoke sincerely: "It's really……great that you came back."
"I didn't expect it either. I was just on my way back when I suddenly noticed a living being floating in the cosmos, so I stopped to take a look—and I saw you…… What a coincidence."
"No, this shouldn't be a coincidence." Lin Qiye said seriously, "The Eastern Emperor Bell rings, the Covenant responds to the time, the past returns, and salvation is found in desperation…… The Third Covenant guided us to meet."
"The Third Covenant? What's that?" Merlin blinked and smiled, "It seems there's still a lot I don't know. Dean, I think it's time for us to find a place and have a proper chat……"
"No problem."
The two of them returned to the break room, closed the door, and sealed out the noise of the attendants…… To be honest, ever since Gilgamesh and the others left the hospital, this place hadn't been this lively for a long time.
Merlin skillfully pulled out a teacup from the cabinet and brewed himself a pot of hot tea.
"So, where should we start?"
"Let's start from after you left the hospital." Lin Qiye paused, "At that time…… yes, at that time on Takamagahara, after you left the hospital, you went alone to kill Susanoo. I took a carriage and fled outside Takamagahara, and later…… later……"
"Later, I went through a lot of trouble to escape…… And I even snatched Ame-no-Murakumo……"
"I snatched Ame-no-Murakumo……"
As Lin Qiye spoke, a hint of confusion suddenly appeared in his eyes. His voice grew quieter and quieter.
"Ame-no-Murakumo…… No, wait…… How did I escape? How did Ame-no-Murakumo end up in my hands…… Strange…… I don't remember……"
Lin Qiye felt his head beginning to throb. He furrowed his brows and tried hard to recall the scene from back then, but no matter what, he couldn't remember. It was as if a very important part of that memory was missing……
At this moment, Merlin, who had been patiently sipping tea while waiting for Lin Qiye to continue his narrative, seemed to notice something. His profound eyes narrowed slightly.
"I…… I seem to not remember……"
"Dean……"
"You wait, I'll definitely be able to remember. At that time——"
"Dean!" Merlin's voice was uncharacteristically stern. He interrupted Lin Qiye's recollection and spoke seriously:
"Have you recently…… used the [King's Star Coins]?"