Genshin Impact: The Road to Reversal

Chapter 616 Hesitation and Hesitation

"I haven't thought about that. I only know that they need help right now. As for what will happen next, that's a matter for later. If it really comes to that, I'll keep an eye on them, and if necessary, I'll stop them." The boy shook his head, his tone calm.

“Really? I can’t see it, can I?” Rednos said, arms crossed.

"What do you mean?" the boy asked, looking up at him.

“I’ll tell you a story and you’ll understand.” Rednos stood up and walked out of the cave, looking up at the sky. “Once upon a time, there was a country where the king was diligent in governing and caring for the people, but because the kingdom was weak, it was oppressed by many forces.”

“One day, a traveler came to the kingdom. He used his power to teach the people how to resist, and he wiped out the entire enemy army with a flick of his wrist. Therefore, he was called the savior by the people and was loved by them.”

Mo Yan's eyes widened in surprise.

"Doesn't this sound like a good thing? Heroes descend from the sky to save lives from suffering; this is what people all yearn for," the boy asked, puzzled.

Rednos nodded: "Yes, he saved the people from suffering, and of course they are grateful to him, but the king doesn't think so."

"Later, the king began to fear. He feared the traveler's power, the people's worship of him, and that one day he would usurp his throne. So he plotted to poison him."

As soon as he finished speaking, the boy's pupils dilated.

Rednos continued, "At that time, the traveler's guard had just returned and overheard their wicked plot. He rushed to tell the traveler, but it was too late."

"The king had already given the poisoned porridge when he was about to administer the poison. Not only the traveler, but even the guards who were with him were poisoned to death. When the returning guards ran into the room, they only saw the traveler and the corpses all over the floor."

"The guard was furious, but then he discovered that the traveler was still alive. So he quickly carried the traveler away from the palace. But the king did not spare any of his soldiers. When the guard rushed out of the palace despite the obstacles, he was met by archers who had been lying in ambush. Under a hail of arrows, the guard used his own body to protect the traveler. In the end, the two of them fell into a pool of blood."

Rednos turned around and looked at the boy's eyes, which were gradually narrowing.

"The traveler died, along with all those who had followed him. He died at the hands of the very people he had saved. And those people he had helped, incited by the king, even clapped and cheered, calling him a 'wicked sorcerer.' But soon the country, deprived of the hero's protection, was destroyed by foreign enemies, and everyone became slaves of a conquered nation."

After speaking calmly, Rednos sat back down by the fire, picked up a piece of roasted wolf meat, and took a bite.

The boy remained silent for a long time, then slowly spoke: "So... what are you trying to say?"

"Human nature is treacherous. Sometimes, even if you save them, it doesn't mean they will be grateful. On the contrary, for their own desires and interests, they may push you into an abyss at any time."

After he finished speaking, the cave fell into a long silence.

The boy stared at the flickering flames, his expression complex. The firelight danced on his young face, sometimes bright, sometimes dim, just like the turbulent thoughts swirling within him.

After a long silence, he raised his head and said, "Even so, I would still do it. If life is a desolate and cold place, what future is there to talk about? But I still want to thank you for telling me so much. At least it lets me know that the road ahead will not be smooth sailing."

Rednos paused for a moment, then chuckled and shook his head: "What a stubborn fellow."

He sat down, and then Rek'os looked at him and whispered, "This story sounds familiar, but it shouldn't be something you experienced, right?"

“It’s not something that happened after I was born as your shadow; it’s just something I made up based on what happened between you two,” Rednos said softly, spreading his hands.

Upon hearing this, Mo Yan frowned.

Self-made? No, this is reality, and I dreamt about it in the abyss. When I asked Rednos then, he said he knew nothing about it, but now he's talking as if it were something I experienced myself.

The boy didn't say anything more, but simply distributed the roasted wolf leg to everyone and silently gnawed on the remaining bones.

Night deepened, and the wind and snow continued. Inside the cave, everyone found a place to rest. The boy leaned against the cave wall, clutching his iron sword, his eyes closed, but he couldn't truly fall asleep.

The next morning, the snowstorm subsided. The group continued their journey.

The boy still walked at the front, his steps firm, as if the conversation from the previous night had never happened.

Rek'os remained at the back of the group, silently watching that figure with a complex expression.

"Um... Tianzhen, how much longer until we reach the Ice Dragon's territory?" Kailin asked.

The boy turned his head slightly: "There's still some distance to go. We need to cross this mountain. There's an ice cave on the mountain, and after passing through the tunnel, we'll reach the ice dragon's lair."

"I see." Karin nodded gently.

“You seem quite familiar with this,” Mo Yan said.

"Of course, that ice dragon comes and goes from the mountain all day long, and many of the people who participated in the training turned back halfway. Although only a few returned safely, they naturally became familiar with it after asking around a lot," the boy explained.

The group continued onward, passing through frozen valleys and over rugged ice ridges, finally arriving at the foot of the mountain the boy had mentioned.

Looking up, the entire mountain resembled a giant ice sculpture, gleaming with a cold, bluish light under the sunlight. Halfway up the mountain, a huge cave entrance could be vaguely seen, like the open mouth of a giant beast, its depths unfathomable.

"That's it," the boy pointed to the cave entrance, "the ice dragon's lair."

Rek'os gazed at the familiar cave entrance, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. It was his dwelling place ten thousand years ago, and to "revisit" it in this way was to say he wasn't filled with emotion.

Karin leaned close to Rek'os and whispered, "Hey, isn't that your old house?"

Rek'os nodded slightly, without saying a word.

"Let's go." The boy tightened his grip on his sword and took the lead in climbing up the mountain.

The mountain path was steep and the ice was slippery, requiring extra caution with every step. But the boy was exceptionally agile, and in a few leaps he had already climbed several meters.

The crowd followed closely behind, each at their own pace.

Just then, a dragon's roar suddenly came from the sky, and with a gust of wind, a huge figure flew in from a distance.

It was a giant dragon with an ice-blue body, its wings spread wide enough to blot out the sky, and its body was surrounded by a visible chill. Wherever it passed, a cold wind would rise and frost and snow would fall from the sky.

The giant dragon circled the mountaintop once in the air before flying into the cave.

At this moment, Karin, who was still climbing halfway up the mountain, widened her eyes: "Was that what we just saw?"

“That’s right, the world-destroying ice dragon Rek’os has returned!” The boy frowned.

Half an hour later, they finally stood at the cave entrance.

At this moment, everyone looked into the cave. The cave was deep and dark, and a chilling aura emanated from its depths, mixed with a heart-palpitating pressure.