..
..
—That's too much!
After listening to Lancelot's explanations regarding terms like "video games," "King Arthur," and "Saber," Merlin's eyes flared with rage.
His most cherished Arthur was actually going to be—after fifteen hundred years!
Incomprehensible!
And—unforgivable!
This is too much! Have the people of this era lost even the most basic respect for great heroes!
For many people in this era, transforming ancient heroes into images that fit modern aesthetics and making them a part of modern popular culture is the most perfect way to commemorate ancient heroes and great figures.
Hearing this, Merlin looked up, staring at Master in shock: "Who are you? Why—"
Wood is mine.
Master said calmly, "You shouldn't take my people away without my permission."
He is Arthur, he—
Master, I am not your Arthur! I just happen to look similar to the True Arthur Pendragon and have had physical contact with him.
Wood emphasized helplessly, "You successfully accepted my explanation yesterday, admitting you found the wrong person and that I am not your Arthur, so why are you now—"
“Because of him?”
Merlin looked at Master with hatred in his eyes: "Because of this man, you refuse to admit that you are the glorious Arthur? You only want to stay by his side and.."
Master Merlin!
Wood felt a strong communication barrier.
Why did this legendary mage before my eyes always—
Haven't you realized that you've entered my Subspace?
Master looked at Merlin with an exasperated expression.
Hearing this, Merlin instinctively looked around, "This.. this.."
He had been brought into the underwater world without even realizing it!
Beneath his feet were dark seabed rocks, surrounded by seawater so blue it was almost black, with schools of fish and jellyfish swimming to and fro around him.
Hallucination?
You know this isn't a hallucination.
Master emphasized softly, "Merlin, I don't want to hurt you, but I hope you stop pestering Wood—he is not your Arthur, your Arthur does not want to see you."
Arthur.. Arthur.. He..
He doesn't want to be controlled by you; he loves a life of freedom and spontaneity. He intentionally transferred the energy fluctuations of Avalon onto Wood, making you mistakenly believe that Wood is Arthur.
At this point, Master paused: "I can help you find the real Arthur Pendragon."
What?
Merlin was overjoyed: "You know where my Arthur is?"
Of course.
Master nodded firmly, turned to Wood, said, "That Guy tried to seduce you right in front of me, even used手段 to make Merlin mistake you for Arthur—although his actions didn't cause you any substantial harm, I still don't want to let him off the hook."
Boss, you're absolutely right. That Guy really deserves a lesson!
Wood nodded repeatedly.
Master then said to the still-hesitating Merlin, "Will you cooperate with me?"
“I am!”
Merlin spoke earnestly.
He wanted to see his Arthur as soon as possible.
Then—it's a deal!
Master reached out his hand: "Kiss the back of my hand, swear the mage's oath."
Yes.
Merlin stepped forward without hesitation, knelt on one knee, kissed the back of the hand covered in ancient runes, swore an ancient oath in a long-lost script: "********"
Wood could not understand the oath and could only stand aside and watch.
But for some reason, as the ancient runes flowed from Merlin's mouth, Wood faintly felt the space trembling, the distant Seawater seemed to be—
Turbid?
Wood instinctively looked into the distance, seeing long and towering seabed mountains, like a Great Wall beneath the water, standing in the pitch-black seawater, stretching endlessly without beginning or end, as a strange, rhythmic thumping of a heartbeat echoed inexplicably in his ears.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
It was as steady and heavy as a pendulum, carrying an indescribable sense of familiarity.
[—Papa!]
A voice like a thunderclap suddenly exploded in his mind, Wood instantly lost all strength, collapsing on the spot!
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thanks to readers "a", "Qing Yun", "Gu Lu Gu Lu", "If the Moon Doesn't Come", "kiki", "Lan Mei Xiao Yang", "Suisui Wei Jun Ge", "Small Cat Fishing a Big Fish", "Lan Wu", "Yun Shen Jian Qiu", "Er Jiao", "A Man in the Abyss with a Rain Hat", "Li Yu", "Min", "Xing Ye", "Raising a Feifei", "Sun and Moon Three Rings", "Yi Tuo Da Yan", "Ha Pi Jiu" for the Irrigation Nutrient Solution.
Jormungand: Papa~
Master: You ignorant brat, get lost!
Chapter 37 True and False Arthur (7)
.. My dear nephews! Do you accept this verdict? Your forms are too hideous, your lineage too lowly; you absolutely cannot remain in the pure ****! You may not even continue to live! But since you are, after all, the children of my dearest brothers, I will not kill you; I will merely exile you! Accept the judgment! This is the final mercy I can grant!
[****！]
In the darkness, a majestic and cruel voice repeatedly emphasized the justice, fairness, mercy of the judgment, but in his dream, Wood felt only an overwhelming and uncontrollable rage and sorrow.
(Those children.. those children.. innocent.. they shouldn't be harmed.. They, they are just a group of children.. a group of children born without a human form!)
(Their appearance is not ugly, their lineage is far from lowly.. They.. they are.. are.. are the children of *** and **! They are the perfect expression of **** and ****! They, they are a purer and higher order of nature, they are..)
—Let those children go! Let Him go.. ah!
Wood woke up with a start, finding himself lying in a large, soft, comfortable bed. The cream-colored wall lamp emitted a soft, pale yellow light, the scent of familiar cologne drifted through the temperature-controlled air.
He was alone in the Bedroom, but the slightly disarrayed sheets, still retaining a lingering warmth, revealed that someone had been sitting by the bed, watching him before he woke.
(.. The person watching me.. was it the Boss?)
Wood thought excitedly, pushing himself up, only to find he was naked, a thin silk blanket sliding down his skin.
（..）
What made him feel even worse was that the wardrobe contained nothing but unconventional, erotic clothing.
(Is this really Boss's room? In my memory, Boss doesn't have such perverse tastes..)
(But—if this room has nothing to do with Boss, then whose room is it.. Who brought me here when I fainted, sat by my bedside watching me for so long..)
(If..)
Wood felt a sudden chill.
The chill stemmed not only from innate human bodily shame, but also from the intense discomfort of being gripped by an unknown fear.
Taking a deep breath, Wood put on a snow leopard plush onesie that was barely considered normal and tiptoed to the Bedroom door, opening a crack.
Bright white light shone into the dim, yellowish room.
In the small sitting room adjacent to the Bedroom, two people were sitting facing each other on single sofas—due to the narrow gap in the door, Wood could only barely make out the face of the blond man sitting on the single sofa near the door.
When do you plan on coming clean?
The blonde Man spoke first, his voice very familiar.
As soon as the words were spoken, an even more familiar voice rang out.
Why should I come clean? I prefer to keep things as they are.
(Arthur Pendragon and Boss?!)
Realizing that the two people talking were Arthur and Wood, the Boss gasped, immediately, a massive wave of confusion and unease surged into his heart.
(They are clearly old friends who have known each other for many years, they both.. what does it mean to be frank with each other? Could it be.. that Arthur is the Boss's ex? And I am the substitute the Boss found after breaking up with Arthur? Arthur thinks the Boss should be honest with me, while the Boss thinks it's better to maintain the status quo.. combined with the clothes in the Cabinet.. the words Arthur said to me.. the Boss's true plan is..)
(Thinking about it this way, it seems quite.. quite good.. Arthur's physique and muscles are.. his face is also.. although this kind of thing is a bit.. but.. but.. ugh..)
Absurd and provocative thoughts swirled through Wood's mind, turning into a hot liquid that slowly—
Sizzle!
The nosebleed landed on the doorknob, making a sizzling sound as the strong acid corroded it, accompanied by choking, thick smoke.
The two people in the small Living Room looked toward the source of the sound at the same time.
What sound?
.. I-it's nothing.
Wood walked out of the room awkwardly, covering his nose.
Are you injured?
.. N-no, I'm not injured, I.. I..
Wood's cheeks flushed crimson; he could not bring himself to admit that he had suffered a nosebleed because he had eavesdropped on their conversation and imagined a vast array of stimulating scenes!
Are you really not injured?
Of course not, I, I..