Chapter 44: Western Fantasy World (End)

At that moment, Vina’s entire face turned green, but he was completely immobilized by the Petrification Curse, unable to react at all. On top of that, the Silence Curse sealed his voice, so he couldn’t even protest or ask a single question. Jay, still drunk and dazed, only knew that his teacher had promised him a reward. As for who he was lying on, completely exposed—he had no awareness of it whatsoever.

The System panicked a little. “Uh-oh! Relationship entanglements between multiple dominant figures in a story can be off-putting for readers! This is a professional tip from me, the Pure Love Division System! Besides, Vina is already aging—shouldn’t the receiving partner’s apparent age stay under 25?”

“Didn’t you just say you were homophobic?” Lin Yuetian questioned.

“That’s not the point.”

Naturally, Vina had no way of knowing about the internal conversation between Lin Yuetian and the System. What he did see was Lin Yuetian standing in place, seemingly lost in thought for a moment. Then, after taking two deep breaths as if preparing himself, he suddenly roared at full volume:

“Jay?! What the hell are you doing?! I completely misjudged you! As the Chief Wizard, you should be devoid of emotions and desires, dedicating your entire life to the pursuit of infinite magical knowledge! And now look at you—what a pervert! Not only did you break the taboo on emotions, but you even have a thing for older men?!”

To ensure the effect, Lin Yuetian even amplified his voice with a sound-enhancing spell. Soon enough, wizards from all over would be rushing to the scene. Meanwhile, Vina, trapped beneath Jay as the supposed “beloved elder,” was on the verge of a stroke from sheer rage. If he weren’t already dead, he might have suffered a brain hemorrhage and died all over again.

Lin Yuetian’s voice was loud enough that Jay seemed to regain a sliver of awareness. He lifted his head, eyes unfocused, looking around in confusion. Vina was nearly losing his mind, desperately cheering for Jay in his heart: Damn it! Snap out of it! Aren’t you the Chief Wizard?! Wake up already!

But Lin Yuetian was quicker. He grabbed Jay’s chin and forcibly poured the remaining cup of alcohol down his throat. Whether it was the exceptional quality of the System Store’s product or simply Jay’s poor alcohol tolerance, the result was immediate—he became even more intoxicated. Staring at Lin Yuetian’s gentle smile, he let out a silly giggle before collapsing with a thud, his head landing directly on Vina’s chest. This further deepened the despair on the old ghost’s face, twisting his expression in utter agony.

“It’s all set now.” Lin Yuetian was extremely pleased with his work.

Then, the wizards who had rushed over in response to the commotion were met with a scene that made them doubt their own eyes:

—Lin Yuetian, standing off to the side with a horrified expression, trembling as he pointed at the two figures on the floor.
—Jay, still under the influence of the potent alcohol, completely oblivious to his surroundings as he shamelessly clung to an unfamiliar elderly man with a face ashen with anger.
—Oh, and Jay was completely naked.

The onlookers weren’t the only ones stunned—even the general public began gathering. The elderly stranger’s face alternated between shades of green and white, while Jay remained immersed in his drunken stupor, completely unbothered. The whole picture was simply too overwhelming—the Chief Wizard had fallen for an old man, and his estranged teacher had caught him in the act.

The evidence was undeniable. The wizards, aside from being utterly shocked, now fully understood: This young genius had violated the rules of the Wizard Tower, and his expulsion was inevitable.

Just then, Jay, still dazed, suddenly murmured, “Teacher…”

The already awkward atmosphere plunged into complete silence.

The wizards, who had been hesitating over how to separate the naked man from the old gentleman, momentarily forgot their dilemma. Several pairs of eyes immediately shifted toward Lin Yuetian, their expressions silently conveying: What the hell? You’re involved in this mess too?!

“Oh ho,” the System remarked.

Even Lin Yuetian’s expression stiffened for a brief moment. But who was he? In the blink of an eye, he formulated the best possible response, fully embracing the art of improvisation.

Lin Yuetian’s face twisted in grief and humiliation. “Despicable! Not only does he have a thing for older men, but he’s also into me?! There’s a saying: ‘Once a teacher, always a father.’ This means he’s not just into older men—he has father issues too! Once he leaves the Wizard Tower, won’t he run rampant, preying on innocent elderly gentlemen? If this goes on, decent old men everywhere will be too afraid to step outside at night! And what will people say? That our Wizard Tower preaches abstinence only to repress desires until they explode into twisted perversions?! Where is the dignity of our Wizard Tower?! Too depraved! Even though I’ve severed ties with him as his teacher, I did raise this scourge, and I cannot sit idly by while he tarnishes the reputation of the Wizard Tower! Today, I, Lin Yuetian, shall uphold divine justice and public order—I will cleanse our ranks for the sake of the Wizard Tower!”

After delivering this righteously impassioned speech, he wasted no time. Without waiting for the other wizards’ reactions, he immediately raised his wand and, at lightning speed, cast a spell directly at Jay’s head.

The original owner of his body had never been skilled in offensive magic, so Lin Yuetian opted for a different approach—using Piercing Spell, commonly employed in construction work to break walls, carve mountains, and drill through stone.

And as it turned out, even though Jay was a prime example of a treacherous ingrate and the Chief Wizard of the Wizard Tower… his head was not harder than stone.

“No matter the life-saving grace of raising him or the fame and status the original owner helped him achieve, I suppose it’s all repaid now,” Lin Yuetian mused as he examined the hole in Jay’s skull, kindly consulting the System.

“…Well, I guess that works,” the System responded with complex emotions. It realized that its tolerance for absurdity had significantly improved. “Now all that’s left is the prince’s love confession and reclaiming the throne. You… do your best. Actually, no, don’t ‘do your best’—just act normal.”

“Relax. Have I ever let you down?” Lin Yuetian was full of confidence.

He then helped up the still-paralyzed Vina, turning to the dumbfounded crowd of wizards and solemnly declared, “The emotional state of the elderly victim still seems unstable. I’ll take him to rest.”

After escorting Vina back to his own chambers, Lin Yuetian finally released the spells restraining him. To show his “consideration,” he even removed his own wizard’s robe and draped it over Vina’s shoulders, offering comfort. “You must be shaken.”

“…Was this also part of your revenge?” Vina murmured.

“You can take a guess,” Lin Yuetian replied.

“Is this… revenge too?” Vina whispered.

“You can take a guess,” Lin Yuetian replied.

Vina let out a bitter smile. “Actually, I already understand your intentions.”

“What do you understand?” The system interjected with a sarcastic tone. “I don’t even understand him, and you think you do?”

“Go on, then,” Lin Yuetian said, his voice indifferent.

“You’ve always just wanted revenge on me, haven’t you?” Vina’s face held a wistful expression, as if he had figured everything out. “Whether it was that knight, Kason, or the apprentice, jay—they were all just distractions. Whether you burned me in front of the knight, forced me to eat his corpse, or just now… it was all because you wanted revenge on me. You’ve always blamed me, hated me. Am I right?”

“…If that’s the case, then tell me, why do you think I resurrected you?” Lin Yuetian found Vina’s ability to overanalyze both amusing and pathetic, but he still played along. Instead of refuting him, he pressed on coldly, “You were already dead. Death is the best revenge. Why do you think I brought you back?”

“…Yes,” Vina stared at the ceiling. “Why, indeed?”

Lin Yuetian smiled.

He deliberately softened his voice until it was as gentle as spring water. “Didn’t I already tell you?”

Vina froze.

Lin Yuetian said, “Because I love you, Vina. Yes, I hate you. I hate that you betrayed me. I hate that you never cared about our relationship. But I still love you. After all these years, you are still the one I love the most. You were my first love… I’ve always loved you, Your Highness. I just want to ask—after everything that’s happened, do you still love me?”

A long silence followed. Then, Vina let out a deep sigh. “…I have grown so old, yet you remain as young as ever.”

“I will age too,” Lin Yuetian said.

“…When I was young, I always believed that the most precious things in this world were power and status. But now, I realize I was wrong. In my old age, I have come to understand—power and status cannot offer you comfort when your youth fades, nor can they bring you satisfaction as you lay dying. The most precious thing in this world is youth… and the people who stayed by your side in your youth.” Vina turned to look at him.

He said to Lin Yuetian, “…Lin, I love you. After all these years, I still love you. I only love you.”

“Mission One: Make Vina, Kaisen, and Jie all confess their love to you and repent—completed,” the system announced. There was a hint of reluctance in its voice because it knew what this meant—Vina was now completely useless to Lin Yuetian.

Sure enough, Lin Yuetian’s smile didn’t change. “Vina, do you know what I want to say to you the most?”

He didn’t wait for Vina to respond. Instead, he took off a ring from his finger and introduced it, “This is the contract item I used to resurrect you. Your life and power are tied to this ring.”

Vina immediately sensed something was wrong. “You—”

Lin Yuetian suddenly channeled his magic, crushing the ring in his palm. This wasn’t an act of releasing a spirit like he had done in the previous world as a mere bystander. This time, it was the deliberate and ruthless destruction performed by a Necromancer.

He looked at Vina and spoke seriously, “Back then, your magical talent, your longevity—it was all given to you by me. What I want to tell you most is this: what I gave you, I can take back at any time.”

As despair filled Vina’s expression, Lin Yuetian remained unfazed and continued, “…Vina, just as I could let you live, I can let you die.”

“Mission Two: Take back what they stole—completed,” the system announced.

(Arc End)