NOVEL NEXT Chapter 800 Disbelief
Rain tried to find the presence of everyone, but he didn't find a strong presence around… that was surprising. Knowing them, Rain assumed that they would train hard day in and day out one day to get their freedom back. Fortunately, while many years had passed, Rain recognized a few presences… they had gotten stronger as well, but Rain couldn't fail to sense the presence of his grandparents.
"... Am I too late?" Rain thought as he walked toward the house where Meiro and Luana were.
No one noticed Rain's presence until he knocked on the door of his grandparents' home. It was a bit too early for everyone to be sleeping, but some people came outside, annoyed to check who was making noise outside.
Before long, Meiro showed up while showing an annoyed expression. It didn't look like he was sleeping, but he didn't like to receive visits at that time. Meiro's reaction was palpable; as soon as his gaze locked onto Rain's face, his eyes expanded in disbelief, a visible shiver coursed through him, and he staggered away, eventually plopping down, his eyes still fixed on Rain.
Despite the intervening years that had bleached Meiro's hair into a glistening white, Meiro's appearance remained relatively unscathed. Though time had certainly passed, leaving its traces, the enduring lines on Meiro's face were still remarkably few, depicting a man who had not been profoundly weathered by the years that had elapsed. He was robust as ever.
"You… you can't be you…" Meiro said.
"... What are you doing?" Luana said while also showing a grumpy face.
"Hey, sorry for startling you two," Rain forced a smile.
Rain observed the shock etched across his grandmother Luana's face, mirroring the disbelief evident in Meiro's reaction. As their eyes met, she quivered uncontrollably, the magnitude of her emotions causing her to sway and ultimately collapse.
Hastily, Rain intervened, preventing her fall to avoid any potential injury. Despite the passage of time, Luana didn't exhibit significant signs of aging either. Her hair hadn't turned entirely white, leading Rain to assume that they might have unlocked the high human path.
This realization suggested that they had likely utilized the knowledge Rain had left before his departure in that bok, employing it to transcend the ordinary boundaries of human aging.
"Grandpa, we need to talk," Rain said. "I understand your shock, but you need to recover as soon as possible and accept that I am indeed me. Long story short, I created a relic that prevented my death, but it took a long while to recover from the damage that certainly smashed my body completely."
"That is impossible…" Meiro said. "You aren't going to fool us…"
"Well, you will have to accept the truth eventually," Rain said. "Ask me anything that you need to confirm my identity. I want to be informed of what happened since I disappeared, but I guess rushing you two to give me the answers will only make me look suspicious." Experience tales with My Virtual Library Empire
Rain surveyed his surroundings and noticed crystal candles softly radiating a gentle white glow in certain corners of the house. Their illumination was subtle but sufficient for nighttime use. These slender lights resembled the gems he had the ability to create, and the Gemini tribe shared a similar skill.
Evidently, over the years, the people had managed to enhance the knowledge he had passed down, making slight improvements in their craft.
"You need to ask me things, to confirm my identity," Rain said. "Anyway, drink some water and take some deep breaths to calm down. If I were an enemy, I would have attacked all of you since no one was able to find me."
"... Your presence… you don't have one, back then I could feel the presence of my grandson," Meiro said.
"I am hiding it since I don't want the dragon god finding me," Rain said and then rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose I can show it for a bit a weakened one."
Rain tried to decrease the power of the domain in his body and he confirmed that he weakened his presence by using less mana than necessary to keep it. That was perfect to make others think that he was much weaker.
"This might be useful… is it enough?" Rain asked.
"You can't be alive…" Meiro said. "You can't be real."
Rain's heart bore a twinge of sadness as he witnessed his grandfather's initial denial of his existence. Despite understanding the reasons behind Meiro's disbelief, it was difficult for Rain to come to terms with the fact that his own family had deemed his return inconceivable.
The years of grieving and mourning had solidified the belief that Rain was lost forever, making his sudden appearance almost unfathomable.
Taking care of his grandmother, Rain gently settled Luana onto a bed, ensuring she was comfortable and resting. He knew she needed time to process the overwhelming emotions that had surged upon his return. However, dealing with his grandfather's unrelenting skepticism proved to be a more daunting task.
"... How… you returned?" Meiro asked.
"I can't give all the details since the process wasn't perfect, but I used a relic to restore my body after being smashed to death by the meteor," Rain said.
As Rain recounted the unbelievable series of events he had experienced – the encounter with the Dragon God, the collision with the meteor, and his survival, despite being caught in between – his grandfather disbelief only seemed to deepen. Meiro's skepticism was evident in the furrowed lines on his forehead.
However, after witnessing Rain's nervousness actions and the worry in his expression about the well-being of everyone, Meiro's stance began to soften. Despite finding Rain's story utterly unbelievable, Meiro recognized the genuine concern and anxiousness in Rain's eyes. The intensity of Rain's emotions and the earnestness in his voice convinced Meiro of the sincerity behind Rain's intentions.
"... One hundred and ten years passed since the end of the battle," Meiro said and Rain opened his eyes widely. "I haven't seen anyone in almost one hundred years when they left the hideout."