"We have never left our planet."
It was difficult to say exactly how Klein felt at that moment. Sadness? Melancholy? Or perhaps a sense of relief, like a second shoe finally dropping?
He simply fell silent. After a few seconds, he let out a long sigh, leaning back slightly, as if feeling somewhat dejected.
"Although I had already guessed it, it's still a bit hard to accept..." Klein finally spoke, his eyes lowered, his smile hard to decipher—was it bitter or relieved? But one thing was certain: compared to the nearly collapsing state he was in when he learned the truth in the original story, Klein was handling it much better now.
He was still sad, still melancholy, but his emotions were far from collapsing.
This wasn't surprising. In the original story, when Klein learned the truth, he was already disconnected from his family in Tingen—Benson and Melissa—with no way to return home. Additionally, due to Ince Zangwill, he had lost his respected captain, Dunn Smith, and Miss Daly. His relationships with other friends had become somewhat distant due to his obsession with returning home, and he was still under Amon's control. With all these setbacks, it would have been surprising if Klein's emotions hadn't collapsed.
But now, thanks to Lynn's interference, Klein had not lost contact with his brother and sister. The captain and Miss Daly were also alive and recently married. Moreover, Klein had gained Lynn, a close friend and fellow transmigrator. And the Angel of Secrets had even given Klein hope, promising that he could bring his family to this era.
There was also a crucial point: Klein had actually prepared himself for something like this a long time ago.
The Angel of Secrets had hinted at this many times, even though Klein had always avoided thinking about it. But deep down, he had already prepared himself to face some kind of truth.
It was because of these many factors that Klein, while still feeling sad and melancholic about the truth of his transmigration, wasn't on the verge of collapse.
Lynn, seeing Klein like this, also breathed a sigh of relief. He had chosen to tell Klein the truth at this moment for a reason. Unlike the original story, where the idea of returning home was used as a carrot to motivate Klein to work hard and ascend, Lynn's efforts and promises had already ensured that Klein would, after learning the truth, strive even harder to ascend, not to return home, but to ensure that he and his family could survive the apocalypse.
Moreover, Lynn understood Klein's character. After learning the truth, Klein might feel sad, but he wouldn't really give up. On the contrary, after the initial shock, Klein would be able to open his heart to a better life, avoiding the loneliness he had in the original story, where he ascended to the position of Lord of Mysteries but was ultimately alone.
That was too tragic!
Of course, there was another important reason: Lynn had already gained the ability to travel through time and space. Although he couldn't currently use his alternate account to travel to the previous era and retrieve Klein's family, if Klein truly missed his family, Lynn could take him back to visit his parents once the coordinates of the previous era were deciphered in a few months.
Lynn thought this and said it out loud. In the next moment, he solemnly patted Klein on the shoulder and said, "Technically, the phrase 'we never left our planet' should be followed by 'and we can never return,' but you have a cheat friend like me!"
"Once the coordinates of the Pre-Epoch are deciphered in a few months, I'll take you to visit your parents. So, there's no need to be too sad. Just think of it as a working aboard! After all, even before transmigrating, a regular worker could only see their parents a few times a year, right?" Lynn ended with a doubtful tone, scratching his chin.
Hearing Lynn's obvious attempt to comfort him, Klein felt both touched and amused. His melancholy and sadness dissipated as he looked at Lynn. First, he said sincerely, "Thank you, Lynn."
"No need to thank me. We're best-friends, aren't we? It's just a small favor, no need to thank me!" Lynn waved his hand dismissively, as if saying, "Since we're best-friends, don't be so polite." Then, he flashed a mischievous smile and said, "But if you really want to thank me, how about letting me draw some interesting close-ups when you ascend to the stage of The Fool and become a cat? Oh, and would you mind if I publish a cat version of the Bible?"
Klein: ... I had become emotional too soon... As expected of you, Lynn!
"I mind, thank you." After a few seconds, Klein finally managed to say, "But... becoming a cat and modeling for you isn't out of the question..."
"Then it's settled!" Lynn immediately said, giving Klein no chance to take back his words. Then, as if he remembered something, he added, "By the way, the tour group might not be just you. I might bring Roselle and the Evernight Goddess along too..."
"The Evernight Goddess?" Klein was stunned for a moment before realizing, "The Evernight Goddess is also a transmigrator?"
"If the memories I share with the Angel of Secrets are correct, yes." Lynn nodded, adding a bit of background to his persona.
"Shared memories?" Klein had obviously noticed the key point.
"This was also a result of the recent accidental fusion." Lynn said, rubbing his temples. "I can now share some memories with the Angel of Secrets. Otherwise, how could I have known this was Earth..."
Then, as if remembering something, he added, "Oh, and the Evernight Goddess seems to have come down from the Sefirah Castle as well..."
Klein's expression showed both confusion and realization, indicating that he already had some guesses.
Lynn didn't intend to hide much more at this point. After all, since he had already revealed the truth of the transmigration to Klein, there was no need to keep other things a secret. He continued, "Based on the memories I share with the Angel of Secrets, the Evernight Goddess, Roselle, and you all seem to have been 'transmigrated' because of that Sefirah Castle..."
Lynn spent a few seconds organizing his thoughts before explaining, "I'm not entirely sure of the specifics, but it seems that humanity really did face an apocalypse back then. Civilization collapsed in an instant, and most people died in the apocalypse. You transmigrators were selected as a contingency by the God I won't mention, pulled onto the Sefirah Castle when the apocalypse hit, and then slept there until you were released..."
Hearing this "truth," Klein's eyelashes trembled. Even though he had already guessed it, hearing the actual truth still made him feel sad.
Incredibly sad.
His family had apparently died in the apocalypse, while he had been unknowingly pulled onto the Sefirah Castle and slept until now.
(End of Chapter)
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