Chapter 177. Departure
"Why?" Anna asked with her brows pressed together. Her tone was laced with a hint of displeasure.
Staring at the empty bowl on the table, Charles slowly expressed his thoughts. "All those nine years, there wasn't a single moment that I wasn't questioning the heavens. Why me? Why not someone else? I risked my life to sail the seas, madly searching for the Land of Light. Sometimes, I don't even know whether I was trying to find a way home or seeking my own demise."
A trace of sadness flashed across Anna's eyes. Tucking a stray strand of hair behind her hair, and gently leaned against Charles.
"Now, I've suddenly come to terms with it," Charles continued. "There are no whys in this world. Everything is predetermined—it’s fate."
Anna toyed with Charles' fingernails with her slender fingers and said, "Since you've come to terms with it, then why continue? Wouldn't it be better to settle down on an island in the Subterranean Sea?"
A firm determination burned in Charles' eyes.
"I refuse to be the subject of ridicule. Whoever it was who threw me into this place, I will let them know that I, Gao Zhiming, will never yield to this fate! I choose the path to return to the surface world. Even if I were to die, I'd rather die on my way home!"
Anna's lips curved up into a gentle smile upon hearing Charles' declaration.
"I knew that you would make this decision. That's the Gao Zhiming I adore, the indomitable Charles."
Charles pondered for a brief moment before he turned to look at the peerless beauty next to him. "Regarding your diet—"
"Shhhh." Anna placed a slender finger against Charles' lips. "I know what you want to ask. However, I can't change my diet. When I eat a human, I'm not just eating their physical flesh, but also ingesting their souls."
A flash of disappointment flickered across Charles' eyes. "Really? Then what did you and your kind feed on on that island?"
Anna straightened up. "It's better for you not to know. I know that you find it disturbing, so I've only been consuming bad guys recently."
Charles smiled sarcastically and said, "Thanks. That surely makes me feel much better."
Anna rose to her feet and took Charles by the hand to pull him out of the noodle shop. "Let's not talk about it. Let's go have a stroll to help digest."
With their fingers interlocked, they walked on the desolate streets.
Anna cast a side glance at Charles and broke the silence, "Since you are set on finding the exit, what's your next step?"
Charles thought for several minutes before he replied, "I plan to go have another look at Newbound City first."
All the clues he had gathered pointed toward the fact that the Foundation knew the location of the exit to the surface world. Moreover, there was a high likelihood that it would be in a vast city like Newbound City.
The Light God that hung in the sky with the ability to talk was also bizarre.
Anna shook her head. Tracing her fingertip over the stitches on Charles' head, she said, "That's something for later. Right now, we need to deal with the issue in your brain."
"My brain? What's wrong with it? Hasn't it been resolved?" Charles was taken aback.
"How could it be that simple? Your mind corruption originated from not just one Divinity but two of them. It took me a long time just to suppress their effects."
"Oh." Charles sounded extremely nonchalant.
"What do you mean by oh?" Anna was surprised by Charles' lackadaisical reaction.
"It means I understand that I don't have much time left, and I have to move as quickly as possible."
Anna rolled her eyes at Charles and shook off his hand. She strode ahead in frustration and said, "Rest assured, I haven't been idle the past few years. My friends have a lead. They'll send me a message once they find a solution. Then, you can make your way there to eradicate the Divinities' Curses."
"Really? It's that simple?" Charles hastened his steps to chase up.
"It's definitely not that simple. I've heard that it's a little dangerous at the place they mentioned. But I'll make the trip with you at that point."
"Please don't. I can handle a minor problem like this by myself," Charles implored. He was unwilling to put Anna at risk.
Anna cast him a questioning gaze but didn't offer any words of retort. Instead, her lips curled up into a sweet smile. "All right then. I have some matters to attend to anyway. Once they find a solution to remove the Curses, I will send a letter your way. Meanwhile, your mind can live in harmony with my tentacle."
The couple continued their stroll as they chatted. Eventually, they reached the outermost border of the World's Crown. The vertical expanse of the mushroom cap was beyond the fence.
Staring at the twinkling lights at the docks, Charles traced his fingers over the tattoo on his neck.
"Thank you," he said, "If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to return."
Anna threw a side glance at Charles. "Why are you thanking me? You're my man, after all. How could I possibly harm you?"
The atmosphere grew slightly awkward the moment Anna's words fell. Charles turned his gaze toward Anna. Her hair was fluttering in the breeze. At that moment, he found her to be extremely gorgeous.
"Anna, I love you," Charles proclaimed.
A rare blush surfaced on Anna's cheeks. She leaned in and encircled her arms around his neck.
"Go on, don't stop," she seductively whispered.
Drawn by her scarlet red lips, Charles leaned in and pressed his lips on them.
Three minutes later, their lips separated, and a silvery thread connecting them lingered for a fraction of a second in the air before splitting into two.
Anna's breathing was slightly rapid. She lightly bit down on her lower lip and stared at Charles with a teasing smile. She whispered in a seductive voice, "Come with me. Let's see if I have the skills to make you stay."
Charles hugged her tightly and met her lips again, but this time with more passion and desire.
Three days later, Charles was lying on the plush bed as he casually picked up a book from the bedside table and flipped through it.
He couldn't really describe its contents. Rough black lines were scribbled across the pages with no visible pattern. Charles wasn't really sure if he was looking at some doodles or some form of text.
As he continued flipping the pages, he seemed to hear an eerie, barely audible chuckle coming from the back of his mind.
A fair, slender hand reached out and took the book out of his grasp. "Stop reading. This is not meant for humans."
Charles admired the naked back that was as white as snow before him. He instinctively pressed himself against it and whispered, "What is it then?"
"Study materials. One can never know too much in this world," Anna replied without even turning around.
Understanding the implied meaning of her words, Charles didn't press further about the origin of the book. He got off the bed and started to dress.
"I'm leaving now. It seems like your skills weren't enough to make me stay."
Anna lifted the blanket off herself and moved gracefully toward the wardrobe, her curves laid bare for Charles' adoration. She picked a sexy, deep purple gown that exposed her midriff and slipped it on.
"I'll see you off," she offered.
They boarded the car, waiting at the foot of the mushroom, and it sped through the streets. Soon enough, they arrived at the docks, where a brand-new warship was docked and awaiting their arrival.
Feeling Anna's lingering stare, Charles gently ran his fingers through the flow of her hair on her back.
"If you run into any trouble, seek me out on Hope Island. And wait for me. Once I find the surface world, let's go there together."
Anna gently nudged him forward. "Alright. Enough with those red-flag promises. Now, I'm actually worried you won't return."
Just as Charles was about to board the colossal warship, a passenger ship glided into the dock beside. His gaze alternated between the two vessels, and eventually, he walked toward the older-looking passenger ship.
After a large group of refugees disembarked, the ship horn sounded, and the older vessel began its slow departure.
Standing at the pier, Anna waved tirelessly at the vessel with a gentle smile on her visage. As the passenger ship receded into the horizon, Anna placed a hand on her flat belly and caressed it tenderly. In a gentle voice filled with overflowing affection, she whispered, "Little one, Daddy has left~"
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