# 918
Chapter 919: Merlin's Farewell
吼——！！！
An angry and frantic roar burst forth like thunder, seemingly patrolling near the temple at high speed.
Lin Qiye's eyes snapped open.
Crimson moonlight streamed through the open entrance of the temple, falling into the dim sanctuary. He stared dazedly at that red moon for a long while, then slowly sat up from the ground.
He could clearly feel that his body was much lighter than before. Although no muscles had grown, he could sense an unprecedented strength in every movement. His skin was as if washed by jade—warm, lustrous, and resilient, like a supernatural masterpiece.
He suddenly felt a warm, soft touch against his right palm.
"You're awake? How do you feel?"
Following the direction of the voice, he saw Jialan quietly sitting on the threshold beside him, her deep blue Hanfu spreading across the ground like a folding fan, her long black hair tied up with a red cord, swaying with the wind bells outside the door.
The red moon hung in the dim sky, Jialan blinked her eyes, one hand holding Lin Qiye's palm, her face showing a hint of worry.
"I'm okay... just still have a headache." Lin Qiye shook his dizzy head, "How long was I unconscious?"
"Ten minutes."
From a distance, Merlin in his magical robe walked over slowly, carefully examined Lin Qiye for a moment, then nodded with satisfaction, "The sealing is perfect, but your spirit hasn't fully recovered from the impact of the faith power, so you might still experience headaches and some dizziness."
"It's fine, not serious." Lin Qiye sat on the ground, taking two deep breaths.
"Really?" Merlin raised an eyebrow, sitting down on the threshold in front of him, "Then I'll ask you a few questions to see if your consciousness is clear."
Lin Qiye was startled.
"The final magic node of 【Flame-Covering Heaven Technique】, what activation method does it use?" Ignoring Lin Qiye's confused gaze, Merlin slowly asked the first question.
【Flame-Covering Heaven Technique】 was a top-tier destructive forbidden spell recorded in Merlin's secret grimoire of forbidden spells, and all information about these forbidden spells had been inscribed in Lin Qiye's mind by the asylum. He couldn't forget them even if he wanted to.
Lin Qiye only contemplated briefly before answering: "Gravity trigger type. When the weight on the surface of the magic array reaches the set value, it automatically activates, similar to the principle of anti-tank mines."
Merlin nodded slightly and asked the second question:
"【Alfred's Aria】, as the strongest single-target destructive forbidden spell of the thunder system, what is its maximum destructive range?"
"Forty-two kilometers."
"Among sealing forbidden spells, there's one that requires advance calculation and arrangement of star-trace trajectories, using stellar power to seal—a spontaneous sealing spell. Which one is it?"
"【Star Orbit Divine Coffin】."
Three questions, Lin Qiye answered fluently.
Merlin's lips curved slightly upward. He rose from the threshold and patted Lin Qiye's shoulder, "Your consciousness seems clear. Ready to depart—you both should go."
Jialan helped Lin Qiye stand, but at Merlin's final words, Lin Qiye froze in place.
"We? Where are we going?"
"Leave Takamagahara." Merlin said calmly, "You've learned the truth of Takamagahara, received my gift, and the three mental magic effects on you will expire soon...
It's time for you to go."
"What about you? Aren't you coming with us?"
"Your journey has ended, but mine... is just beginning." Merlin smiled.
Lin Qiye's brow furrowed tightly, "Where are you going?"
"I cannot stay by your side forever, Lord Qiye. That would only hinder your growth." Merlin's voice was gentle, "After Nyx left, she chose to return to Olympus for revenge. I, too, have something I must pursue..."
"What?"
"Truth and reality."
Lin Qiye thought for a moment, "Still investigating the world's true nature?"
Lin Qiye clearly remembered that the reason Merlin entered the Asylum of the Gods was to pursue the truth of the world. He then accidentally entered some interdimensional plane and was invaded by some existence that occupied his mind...
Merlin sighed, "I must admit that I still cannot reach the answer to that riddle at my current level... What I want to investigate is another riddle—one that has existed in this world for countless ages but has never been discovered."
Merlin extended his hand, pointing to the crimson blood moon overhead.
"You're going to investigate the origins of the Cthulhu mythos?" Lin Qiye said in shock.
Merlin nodded. He gently closed his eyes, two faint magical lights dissipated, and when he opened them again, both eyes were crimson!
Lin Qiye's heart trembled slightly.
The appearance of Merlin before him was too similar to Chen Yangrong he had seen inside the whale in the deep sea—that pair of crimson eyes reflecting the red moon, full of ferocity and agony.
The difference was that Merlin's expression was perfectly calm, lacking Chen Yangrong's fanatical loss of control.
"You've been corrupted by the red moon?!"
"I chose to let it corrupt me. To approach the truth, one must listen to 'their' voices." Merlin pointed to his ear, "Now, I think I've begun to hear something..."
"But..."
Lin Qiye started to say more, but Merlin微笑着打断了他，"放心，我不会有事的，我可是伟大的魔法与预言之神Merlin。"
看着Merlin那双自信而闪烁的眼眸，Lin Qiye欲言又止，终究没有多说什么。
Merlin轻轻招手，几匹幽灵白马拖着银色马车来到了Lin Qiye和Jialan面前。Merlin将马车门打开，右手摘下风帽放在胸前，像个绅士般微微鞠躬：
"七夜阁下，我们就此别过吧……总有一天，命运会安排我们再会的。"
Lin Qiye叹了口气，一只脚踏上了马车，犹豫片刻后又退了回来。
"Merlin叔，就算要追寻克苏鲁的真相，也该先离开Takamagahara吧？"
"还有些小事要处理，完了就走。"Merlin微笑说道，"你们留在这里可能会被波及。"
"……我明白了。"
Lin Qiye面对Merlin，沉默片刻后深深鞠躬，"Merlin叔，一路平安。"
"嗯。"
Lin Qiye带着Jialan登上银色马车，Merlin关上车门，指节在车厢上轻敲，几匹幽灵白马拖着车厢消失在视野中。
等他们走远，Merlin脸上的微笑逐渐消失，取而代之的是前所未有的凝重。
当马车驶离隐藏气息的魔法阵的瞬间，一道咆哮声再度炸响！
吼——！！！
那咆哮声自远处急速接近，血色尘埃漫天飞扬，澎湃如海的杀机席卷，径直向离去的银色马车冲去！
Merlin双眸微眯，抬起手中魔法阵，身形化作残影，向咆哮声所在的方向阻挡而去！ Merlin smiled and cut him off. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I am Merlin, the great god of magic and prophecy."
Looking at that confident, twinkling gaze, Lin Qiye hesitated before finally holding back his words.
Merlin beckoned softly, and several spectral white horses pulling a silver carriage arrived before Lin Qiye and Jialan. Merlin opened the carriage door, removed his wind hat with his right hand, held it to his chest, and bowed slightly like a gentleman:
"Lord Qiye, let us part ways here... Someday, fate will arrange for us to meet again."
Lin Qiye sighed, one foot stepping onto the carriage, but after hesitation, he stepped back.
"Master Merlin, even if you're pursuing the truth of Cthulhu, shouldn't you leave Takamagahara first?"
"I still have some small matters to handle. Once done, I'll leave." Merlin smiled, "If you stay here, you might get caught in the crossfire."
"...I understand."
Lin Qiye faced Merlin, was silent for a moment, then deeply bowed, "Master Merlin, travel safely."
"Yes."
Lin Qiye brought Jialan and stepped onto the silver carriage. Merlin closed the carriage door, rapped his knuckles lightly on the carriage, and the spectral white horses galloped away, dragging the carriage out of sight.
After Lin Qiye was gone, the smile on Merlin's face gradually faded, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity.
The moment the carriage drove out of the magic array concealing their presence, a roar exploded once more!
吼——！！!
That roar rapidly approached from the distance, blood-colored dust filled the sky, a murderous aura as vast as the sea swept across, charging directly toward the departing silver carriage!
Merlin's eyes narrowed slightly. He raised the magic array in his hand and his figure turned into an afterimage, rushing toward the source of the roar to intercept it!