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"Not sure. They said they\'re staying at Warner\'s place. What about Rachel? Did she go too?"

"No, she\'s just finished cleaning up the dishes."

Sherry approached, gently taking John\'s arm, and smiled, "It\'s been so many years. You seem to have grown taller. I used to be able to look you in the eye, but now I have to look up at you."

"Maybe I had another growth spurt. By the way, Sherry, aren\'t you going home today?"

"No, my house is in the inner city. It\'s too far. Besides, I have to patrol again tomorrow, so it\'s more convenient to stay here. Why? Do you want me to leave?"

"Of course not, I was just asking."

Facing Sherry\'s wistful gaze, John forced a smile and nervously looked away.

"So, now that you\'re back, do you plan to stay?"

"I don\'t know. I don\'t know if the journey will continue."

"Do you want to leave? To continue your journey?"

"I don\'t know. I\'m a bit lost right now."

John shook his head. It felt like he was speaking to Sherry, but also questioning himself.

Since his rebirth, there seemed to be an invisible hand pushing him forward continuously: from being an apostle, to a messenger, and now a deity. If this journey had no end, did the scenery along the way still hold any meaning?

Moreover, John didn\'t even have time to stop and appreciate the scenery. He was forced to keep moving forward. Despite experiencing many things he hadn\'t in his previous life, John no longer felt any sense of novelty.

He had become a slave to some mission.

"I know Renara\'s situation hit you hard. If you can\'t sort out your thoughts right now, just stay here for a while. If one day you finally move past that shadow and want to continue your journey, I think I will accompany you."

"Actually, you don\'t have to change yourself for me."

"You\'re wrong there. I\'m not changing for you; I\'m changing for myself. Being by your side, sharing your joys and sorrows, is what I long for. Although I don\'t know if this is what you hope for, I think I will slowly find out the answer."

As she spoke, Sherry gently stood on her tiptoes and kissed John\'s cheek.

"The journey must have been tiring. Have a good rest."

The expected didn\'t happen. It was a peaceful night. Sherry just lay quietly beside John, listening to him share amusing anecdotes from his travels, sometimes laughing out loud, sometimes quietly sobbing.

For a moment, John truly immersed himself in this identity that had never really existed, and his restless emotions calmed down.

"After hearing your stories, I feel like leaving here to see the world outside, but unfortunately, I don\'t have the courage like you do. Leonard, doesn\'t the unknown journey scare you? I mean, you don\'t even know where the chosen path will lead. Why do you still have the courage to walk it?"

"Calling it courage...isn\'t quite right. What sustains me is also fear. The future is uncertain, but I can always find a path because the road is under my feet, and where it leads is a choice I make. But the past... it\'s like a relentless maw, indifferently devouring everything, making it impossible for me to stop moving."

"I... I don\'t quite understand. Why be afraid of the past?"

"Because my past is chasing me."

...

When John finished sharing most of his journey with Sherry, it was already early morning.

In the sunless depths of the ocean, there is no real sense of dawn or night, only the passage of time.

"I didn\'t expect us to talk for so long. Just by listening to you, I can feel how difficult this journey has been for you. So, back to the original question, I can sense that you still long for a real journey. A journey where you don\'t have to worry about disturbing thoughts, don\'t have any attachments, and won\'t become a slave to something. Just walking freely, appreciating the scenery along the way.

Atlantis is truly beautiful. Every time I go into the deep sea and see this kingdom lying quietly on the ocean floor like a lost gem, I can\'t help but stop and admire it. But this place isn\'t your destination. I hope you can untangle your heart and leave here to explore the world. And I hope I can gather the courage to leave with you."

Looking at Sherry\'s gaze, John forced a smile and said, "I hope so. Are you leaving now?"

"Yes, it\'s my turn to lead the patrol these days. This time we might go to a farther place. I hope your return brings me good luck and we don\'t encounter any trouble."

"Be careful. If you encounter danger, run away. Surviving is the most important thing."

"That\'s not an option! I\'m the captain of the Ocean Guard\'s third squad. I can\'t flee in the face of danger! Don\'t worry, I\'ve swum through this area countless times and always returned safely. This time will be no different."

Seeing Sherry\'s confident expression, John felt a pang of anxiety. Damn, this is clearly raising a flag. Not mentioning it would be better. Saying it out loud almost guarantees something will go wrong!

But after spending the night talking, John had a good impression of Sherry. It wasn\'t about romantic feelings, just that he found this slightly naive, imaginative, yet righteous person shouldn\'t lose her life for such a ridiculous reason.

"Sherry, do you know about Contract Alchemists?"

"Contract Alchemists? What\'s that?"

"It\'s an ability. When I was traveling, I met a Contract Alchemist and learned a bit from him. Basically, I can make monsters sign a contract with you, acting according to your wishes to protect you. I have a feeling that the ocean isn\'t very safe recently. I\'m really worried. How about this: wait for me for a few minutes, okay?"

Hearing this, Sherry nodded thoughtfully.

Although she didn\'t fully understand what John—more accurately, Leonard—meant, her intuition made her willing to believe him.

John led Sherry to the courtyard, where he took out several monster corpses and piled them up. Accompanied by the recitation of obscure and complex incantations, a hexagram appeared at John\'s feet, glowing with a brilliant blue light that caught Sherry\'s eye.

"So... so beautiful. How did you do that?"

"It\'s not done yet. Wait a moment."

John stopped Sherry from approaching and began offering the sacrifices one by one.

"I have offered the sacrifices, respond to my summon!"

The monster corpses were engulfed one by one, and in exchange, a giant claw emerged from the magic circle, struggling to pull itself out. Its appearance was similar to an earth dragon but more slender, less cumbersome, and with webbed claws, indicating its ability to operate both on land and underwater.

"Given the limitations of the sacrifice\'s quality, this is my limit. A dragon-like monster, the Frostscale Drakon. Though it\'s only level fifty-five, it\'s enough to handle most emergencies. At the very least, it can buy you some time."

Seeing this almost miraculous scene, Sherry widened her eyes in shock, unable to speak for a long time.

Summoning a monster from a pile of monster corpses was far beyond Sherry\'s understanding.

"How... how did you do this?"

"The principles are a bit complicated to explain. This is something you can only see in the outside world. Anyway, let\'s sign the contract first. Once the contract is established, it will sense your thoughts and commands and follow them strictly. When I can\'t protect you, let it protect you."

"Remember what I said, Sherry. If you encounter danger, don\'t be a hero. Sacrifice it to buy yourself time and a chance to survive. You can always form a new contract with another monster if this one dies. But if you die, everything is over."