Is the person you sculpt as cute as me?

Unfortunately, it is difficult to do.

Heavy and complicated questions piled up like a mountain, and the only clue Yu Man knew was this ID.

“…Never mind, come on.”

Yu Man gave up thinking and just called up the friend interface.

A short page that does not require a scroll wheel to turn, showing all of Yu Man’s friends so far.

Yago and Xiaolu were both offline, and 70 and Liutongqihua were probably in their own territory, perhaps working on a soul weapon or completing a dungeon. Yu Man wanted to help, but it was too late. Add to that people like the pastry chef, and that was Yu Man's rather narrow network of strangers.

"I hope you don't close the friend request..."

Thinking of this, Yu Man submitted a friend request to koltrast.

Successful.

If you’re not rejected immediately, it means it works.

At this time, normal people should be going to school and work, living their lives as usual. Only when they fall asleep late at night can they naturally sink into the old world and enjoy the extra third of life bought with time.

and so……

"koltrast has accepted your friend request."

Oh, it really happened?

Anyone who would be online at a time like this and pass through at the speed of light... I'm afraid that's not normal.

How can this be done?

What's next?

Many problems came one after another, and Yu Man was worried.

"Are you a customs clearance expert?" If you ask this, I'm afraid it will reveal many problems...

Aside from Senior Cat, Yu Man didn't know anyone, let alone hear of any strangers besides himself and Senior Cat who had left a deep mark on this world. If someone hid their identity perfectly, they might even expose themselves to danger.

After thinking about it over and over again, I carefully considered the words and sentences, and gradually came up with an idea.

But before she made that brilliant opening statement—

"Excuse me, have you ever seen The Eel's Journey?"

A light private chat, from nowhere and at some unknown time, quietly drifted through the system... to Yu Man's eyes.

Yu Man was stunned.

"...I have seen it." Yu Man replied.

“Not every door is open to you, and time is shorter than you think. But no matter what, you can always try.”

The other party sent another message, which was just a quote from the original text.

Yu Man was silent.

Moreover, all the worries in my heart disappeared.

That light news came again.

"——Hello, legendary stranger, it's an honor to be on your friend list."

"Hello, koltrast..."

After a while, Koltrast wrote back:

"You can call me Blackbird, just as I would like to call you Eel. I roughly understand why you added me. It seems that, as I thought, your vast fame in this world comes from your visits to this world more than once."

"Have you come to this world many times?" Yu Man asked back.

"Let's talk in person—I'm on the island at the center of the world, lost in the magnificent library of the Old World Translation Court."

"it is good."

……

There was no elaborate testing of each other, just straightforward communication.

However, things are more complicated than Yu Man imagined.

……

Summoning the Ice Prison Dragon, Yu Man set sail from Shimlabakken and flew towards the center of the vast ocean of the old world.

It is the most prosperous place in the world, but that prosperity is not limited to the economy and architecture, but also cultural prosperity.

Civilization was born there and culture spread there.

Unlike the hundreds of main cities of countless players——

The very center of the Old World is the main city of the Old World.

Its name is——"Delerma".

In Old World languages, it is the oldest etymological root for the word "dream".

Furthermore, it represents the strongest and most advanced "life".

Foreigners wishing to visit the place must pay three gold coins or contribute a corresponding amount of cultural content. Civilization and art flourish within it, and sentimental stories are constantly told. However, compared to reality, its charm is not great, as it is too classical.

Therefore, except for some special needs, foreigners do not often go there.

"So Big Brother is now special needs?"

"Ah."

There were about five minutes left on the journey, and Yu Man was chatting with Xiao Bing.

This young dragon, who is naive about the world, is still curious about everything in the world. Yu Man, a veteran who has visited the old world more than once, is happy to share information about the world with her.

"Brother, are there any powerful people in this "Delerma"? "

"I don't know about this era, but there used to be a god in charge of 'art'. He wasn't some ragtag bunch like the president of the 'Underworld Chamber of Commerce', but a true High God. But... later on -"

"You cut it?"

"Not really. I don't kill anyone I see."

After Yu Man cleared his name, he continued:

"That deity organized the Court of Translation and the Court of Music, but unfortunately, they translated some extremely terrifying ancient texts, turning Delerma into a cult site. Everything was ruined."

"...So... where are we going now?"

"The Three Secrets were alerted and resolved the issue—well, that's all in the past for me. Anyway, everything is going back to normal now. As for whether the deity in charge of 'art' still exists, I don't know..."

Maybe he was dragged away by the "Three Secretaries" as a price?

Xiao Bing was a little worried: "Brother, what ancient books were translated at that time?"

"No one knows. It's been completely sealed by the Three Secrets... Really, don't look back at me like that. I don't know either." Yu Man paused, then said, "Well, I do know a little. It's probably a story from before the creation of the Old World, that's all."

This is all Yu Man knows.

Because of this dark history, the "Translation Court" of the literary island "Delerma" has not yet fully resumed operations to this day. It simply produces literary works and dares not touch historical or magical documents.

This dark history also made Yu Man feel inexplicably uneasy about the stranger she was about to meet.

……

Delerma is right before our eyes.

Made of hundreds of billions of crystals and glass, with special magic as the adhesive, it is cast into a transparent and flawless appearance, rather than soil and vegetation.

It is like a perfectly grown lattice, following the fundamental laws of the world.

It is filled with an invisible cultural atmosphere, but it can bring peace of mind to anyone who comes close.

Island of literature and art.

"...So beautiful." Xiaobing liked it very much.

"Once upon a time, those glasses and crystals were all black and red...it was the blood of the cult." Yu Man said casually.

“…It’s not beautiful anymore.”

Yu Man doesn't think so.

After purification, "Delerma" became even more beautiful.

"Okay, we're almost at the shore, and then I'm going to pay the island entrance fee..."

"Ah."

Xiaobing is already familiar with traveling, knows how to transform into a little girl, and knows how to restrain the winter field that can freeze mortals to death.

She also vaguely knew that if anyone asked about her relationship with Yu Man, she should say they were sisters, not elder brother or mother and daughter.

Landing and entry.

Accustomed to the hustle and bustle of the main city island, Yu Man felt uncomfortable on this quiet island.

There are almost no foreigners here, and the immigration department is idle and lazy.

therefore--

If there are strangers around, they can be seen at a glance.

“…Huh.”

Koltrast, a name meaning blackbird, hung above one of them, swaying quietly with the rise and fall of her breathing.

Yu Man saw her.

Under the crystal tree at the entrance of the island, she sat on a branch, counting the spots of light that leaked into her palm through the gaps in the leaves.

"..."

Yu Man walked towards her.

With every step forward, her appearance became clearer.

It was as if the robe was cut from a bed sheet, and the childish brushstrokes were filled with wings.

The ink may be thick or thin, dirty or elegant, and her thin body is hidden in it.

When the wind blew, it would flow into her robe through the sleeves, as if it could blow her into the sky and never come back.

Her long, light golden hair was as luxurious as gold, covering her overly pale skin.

—and that vague, dark, yet beautiful face.

"..."

Her sky-blue pupils met Yu Man's eyes.

Then, from the endless fatigue, a curiosity that seemed to have not been there for a long time shone.

"I was worried I'd get too caught up in my books, so I waited at the door."

Koltrast started with this sentence.

The voice, equally gloomy and tired, belongs to a young girl.

She took off the library card hanging around her neck and put it carefully in her pocket. Then she carefully slid down to the ground and barely managed to stand.

“Every time I return to the ground from the treetops, I feel like a bird egg that failed to hatch. The liquid that should have formed my wings will stick to the ground and then be dried by the sun and wind.”

"...So, you want to be a bird in your next life?" Yu Man asked.

"...Huh, you want it too?" Koltrast was surprised.

Only then did Yu Man notice that the other party was speaking very precise Chinese.

It sounds like my native language, but I can also hear some subtle non-native elements.

"Look, Eel, there are essentially three kinds of people in this world. One kind doesn't want an afterlife, having had enough. The other kind is the person who's thinking about what they want to become in their next life."

She suddenly spoke for no reason.

But those light words were integrated into Yu Man's heart.

"What about the third one?" Yu Man asked.

Koltrast ignored Yu Man's question and simply wiggled his index finger. "The second type of people can be divided into two subcategories—those who still want to become human, and those who want to become something other than human."

"...What about the third one?" Yu Man asked again.