Chapter 4 : Whispers

"But there doesn't seem to be a way, at least I can't think of a solution right now. Luckily, I don't have any other urgent matters to attend to at the moment. So, I don't mind tagging along with you for a while." Lin Ruo could clearly see that Klein was grappling with doubts. He wasn't surprised by the skepticism Klein expressed; in fact, he was pleased with the outcome.

Lin Ruo had deliberately started his experiments out in the open, intending to reveal certain flaws and enigmas. By not displaying any hostility, he could more effectively shape his persona and keep Klein from being overly wary.

—Of course, if he were dealing with the current Klein who had already experienced the Cthulhu Heir incident or the Great Smog incident, he wouldn't take this approach. However, he had no issue employing it with the recently transitioned Klein.

After all, he possessed the camaraderie of a fellow traveler's aura, which naturally inclined Klein to favor him more than others.

Lin Ruo glanced at the lingering bloodstains in the room that hadn't been fully cleaned up. With a smile, he gently prompted, "Just a friendly reminder, it's going to be daylight soon. You're not the only one in this house, right?"

Suddenly realizing, Klein let go of his previous doubts and instead focused on tidying up the room. After all, his sister Melissa was still asleep in the adjacent room. If he didn't clean up the bloodstains soon, he might frighten her later.

Outside the window, the crimson moon had already begun its descent towards the western horizon, and a sliver of golden sun peeked at the edge of the horizon. Dawn was indeed approaching swiftly.

After a while, there was movement from the neighboring room, and Lin Ruo saw Klein, who had finished tidying up, hastily stow away a revolver into a drawer. Following suit, a girl who bore a striking resemblance to Klein emerged from the adjoining room. She was his younger sister, Melissa.

"What's going on?" Melissa asked with a puzzled expression, having evidently heard the sound of the revolver being concealed in the drawer.

Klein instinctively sought an explanation, but in his peripheral vision, he caught sight of Lin Ruo's reflection in the mirror.

Although he couldn't perceive the figure's substance, the young man was gazing at them from the mirror, his arms crossed, wearing a gentle smile devoid of malice.

Admittedly, Lin Ruo was indeed an inherently amicable individual. His mere presence exuded a sense of goodwill, making it hard for people to harbor negative sentiments toward him. This quality, however, wasn't the crux of the matter. The crucial point was that the figure was situated on the spiritual plane—something Melissa would find unsettling.

Klein's throat tightened. He intended to divert the topic and casually urge Lin Ruo to move away from the mirror. Yet, Melissa preempted his efforts as she peered into the mirror.

As usual, she stood before the mirror, inspecting her reflection first, then using it to adjust her attire. Afterward, she shifted her gaze to Klein and inquired with a hint of skepticism, "Klein, what exactly is going on?"

She didn't see it?

Klein grasped this realization almost instantly. While he was puzzled over it, he formulated a response: "I'm sorry, I'm just a little nervous... about the upcoming interview."

While not an answer that addressed all the preceding questions, it was a fitting explanation. Melissa furrowed her brows initially, then appeared to mull over it for a few seconds before offering encouragement, "Klein, don't stress too much. You're wonderful, and I'm sure you'll do great in the Backlund University interview."

Touched by his sister's encouragement, even though the notion of the interview hadn't crossed his mind, Klein nodded, accepting Melissa's solace.

Once Melissa departed with her toiletries for the communal bathroom, Klein breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at Lin Ruo once more and asked, "Melissa can't see you, it seems?"

"She really can't." Lin Ruo affirmed Klein's query, not elaborating much. He himself remained uncertain about this aspect. During his prior ability experimentation, he had tested whether others could perceive him through mirrors and received negative results. After Melissa returned, Lin Ruo decided to keep the matter on hold.

But for Beyonders, particularly those who, like the Death Consul, could directly perceive spiritual entities in this world, he wasn't certain.

Besides, experimentation wasn't straightforward; any misstep could be misconstrued as malevolence and met with purification.

It was undoubtedly complicated.

Muttering these thoughts, Lin Ruo refrained from descending into despondency. He turned his attention back to Klein and inquired, "By the way, what are your plans moving forward?"

Klein hesitated, as if grappling with his thoughts before finally responding, "I...". He paused, as though sifting through memories from the original host, and then inquired, "Lin Ruo, how long have you been a traveler?"

"Well, that's a secret!" Although he could fabricate an answer, Lin Ruo decided against it, shaking his head as he said, "However, I can tell you there are more people in this world than just you and me as travellers. Some have caused quite a stir."

Indeed, some have caused quite the commotion.

Recalling the historical development of a mysterious world largely dominated by several travellers, Lin Ruo couldn't help but smile with a hint of irony.

Klein appeared surprised by this response. Pausing, as if he had retrieved information from the original host's fragmented memories, he hesitated, "The Great Emperor Roselle?"

"Yes, he was indeed a traveller." Lin Ruo nodded. Observing Klein's reaction, he deduced Klein's reluctance to discuss the topic further, his disappointment evident.

Lin Ruo promptly inquired, "Seems you're not too fond of these travellers. Do you wish to return home?"

"I still have my parents, relatives, and friends..." Klein responded with a question of his own, "Isn't it normal to want to return home? Don't you want to go home?"

Caught off guard, Lin Ruo found himself reminiscing about his life prior to becoming a traveller. Even though he lacked parents, he still had three or five friends. They laughed and cried together, and his life was undoubtedly joyful.

He pondered whether focusing on his endeavors in the Supernaturals World after traveling had led him to feel that years had passed since those memories. A pervasive sense of having traversed an extensive length of time enveloped him, obscuring his past recollections.

Was it an illusion?

With lowered eyes, Lin Ruo let out a sigh. "You're right..."

Despite these illusions of fading memories, he would still choose to return if given the chance. Nevertheless, he pondered how far he had drifted from his true hometown after undergoing two consecutive transmigration. Could he genuinely find his way back home again?

He didn't know.

Such uncertainties left him perplexed, reminding him of the enigma surrounding his initial crossing.