Although she did not know what Nono had experienced during these years, it could be seen from the huge change in the other party that these experiences would probably be nothing good. A good experience would never make a person change so much.

Garen took the gla.s.s of juice and gently drank it. Sitting on the sofa in the Professor's house and drinking juice as such was something he left behind many years ago.

This kind of peaceful and lackadaisical life was not appropriate for the present him.

"How are you doing now? I have also tried to get hold of some news about you through my connections. Unfortunately, no one has ever seen you since your disappearance at that time. Everybody guessed that you went to the Radiation Zone. Otherwise, it was impossible not to have found you in the whole region," Galafil informed the Professor and asked Garen at the same time.

"Still alright. I was able to manage through these years," Garen knew that the other party still thought of him as the student from that year. Perhaps he had not even entered the higher stage of resonance. Now that he was back...

"Rest a.s.sured, the Professor will understand you for sure. Coupled with your case being overturned, you will definitely be able to live a good life in the region again. Oh right, what about your family? I went to the address of your family sometime later and found that they had already moved out," Galafil was a very kind woman. Although her appearance was wide and tall, nevertheless she took care of the junior brothers and sister without any requests. If it were not for her own kind-heartedness, no one would even think of doing such a thing if there was no payment involved in this acquisitive society.

In the beginning, because Garen was also her junior brother, she put some effort to go around and investigate. Unfortunately, there was no result.

"Settle down?" Garen smiled.

"Yeah, you can rest a.s.sured. The Professor is now a lot older. In the last insurgency, your two senior brothers were..." Galafil lifted the cup and took a sip. Her expression was dejected. "Now, in retrospect, everything that had happened was just like a dream."

"I'll plead with the Professor. Plus, you were being wronged back then. Coming back to resettle and re-enter the party should not be a problem," Galafil showed a gentle smile.

Garen lowered his head and the expression on his face could not be seen.

"He's coming! Professor is back soon!" Galafil suddenly raised her voice. "I saw his location pointer. He's not far away and is rus.h.i.+ng back!" There was a smile on her face, "You see, as soon as he heard you are back, he immediately came back without any delay."

Garen held the gla.s.s of juice. The gla.s.s covered most of his face as he drank quietly.

The two sat on the sofa. Galafil kept talking about what had happened in recent years in an unceasing flow of words while Garen listened silently, smiling from time to time.

Boom!

Suddenly a dull voice came in from the outside. A travel-worn black figure wearing a trench coat strode into the hall.

Van Doe was still that wizened old man from that time. He had a crutch in his hand, his back was a little hunched and the wrinkles on the skin of his face were increasingly packed. The right side of his neck could be seen with a dark blue code-number printed on the skin. It was the same compared to that time, except the color had faded slightly.

When he entered the door, his gaze instantly fell on Garen.

"You still know to come back!?" A severe tone.

Concerning this disciple whom he had given up at that time, his heart was somewhat guilty. This genius disciple had become a victim due to the conflict between the parties. It was also because he did not really support him fully. However, as a professor, having him admit his mistakes to his disciple was not something he could do! He, Van Doe, had lived for so long, and never had he apologized to anyone for his mistakes!

Garen and Galafil stood up and turned around to face Van Doe.

"Professor..." Garen spoke softly and looked calmly at this old man who was increasingly showing signs of senility. The death of the two disciples was a huge blow to him. Originally, there were many disciples under him. However, whether Garen was alive or not was unknown to him, and the two senior brothers died in the insurgency. Because of this, he was left with only a female disciple, his status was still considered stable. However, he no longer had the original influence he once had within Black Flood Party anymore.

"I don't have you as my disciple!" Van Doe said coldly. Looking at Garen's current appearance, there was not even a sense of Willpower left in him, and his looks had changed dramatically. Eventually, his heart softened a little. With the Willpower expelled, being alone on the outside was naturally extremely difficult, not to mention the previous years were during a period of war…

"Since you're back, go to Eagle's Nest right away! Get your Willpower back as soon as possible!"

"Professor..." Garen was still speaking calmly. Initially, he had no resentment for Van Doe. Although he finally gave up on him, he had also helped him a lot in the beginning. "This is my last visit here as a disciple. Perhaps, it is also the last time I'm addressing you as such..."

As soon as the words came out, Galafil was instantly dumbfounded in the hall. Van Doe's expression was also stunned. He took a deep breath.

"What are you talking about, Nono!?" Galafil hurriedly said out loud. "Quickly apologize to Professor! Don't destroy your future just because of an impulsive act! The Professor was only..."

"Shut up!" Before the words were finished, she was interrupted by Van Doe.

Van Doe's face flushed and his hands trembled slightly. He fixed his eyes on Garen.

"You, what was it you just said? I didn't hear clearly," His voice was shaking a little. This was the biggest compromise he could make. He was Van Doe, who would never admit his faults! Never!

Ignoring Galafil's frantic eye gestures from the side, Garen looked up and calmly faced Van Doe.

"Professor, there are some things that can never be reverted once they have happened..."

Some things that can never be reverted?

It was all silence in the hall.

Without having completely accepted the deaths of his two disciples whom he had trained wholeheartedly, no one could imagine Van Doe's feelings at this moment. Back then, he had given up on Garen, but it was also for the reason that this disciple was too much of a troublemaker. Not only was he hostile to the branch party, there were also Fila's forces. Not to mention, he was working with another inexplicable force.

Now...

He had initially put down everything in his hands and quickly came back, thinking that he had seen hope, or perhaps Nono had thought it through and therefore returned to his place. Perhaps, this was exactly the opportunity to make up for his mistake. Yet, now it seemed that...

Van Doe looked at this genius disciple whom he once had high hopes for. Now he had completely fallen to become an ordinary people. There was not even a trace of the pilot's Willpower left. But even in such a situation, he was still not willing to bow his head before him.

Two of his disciples died in a battle, one of his disciples wanted to rebel, and there were two children who fell seriously ill... There was only one female disciple left, but her apt.i.tude was insufficient, and she could possibly not break through forever...

"...Was I...really wrong? ..."

For the first time. Van Doe could not help but ask himself for the first time.

"No! I am not wrong! They are! It's them who do not understand me!" The distorted and restrained emotions erupted from his heart.

"I just came to tell you, Professor, that I don't blame you for the matter back then. But everything from that time is even now." Garen opened his mouth again. Looking at the clearly stubborn old man before him, he finally calmly said what he intended to.

"Nono!" Galafil yelled anxiously from one side.

"It's okay," Garen smiled mildly at her.

"It's okay?!" Van Doe spoke up. His face was dark. A deep sense of fatigue emanated from him. "You, an ordinary person, without any Willpower. In this age of war, even if you rely on your brain, you could live well for a while. However, do you think you can live on like that for a lifetime!? Foolis.h.!.+ Funny! People can only rely on themselves!"

"Yeah, people can only rely on themselves," Garen smiled. "Professor, you taught me this profound principle back then, didn't you?"

Van Doe moved his lips but did not speak again.

For a time, the three people no longer spoke. There was only a deep sense of indescribable atmosphere in the hall.

After a long time, Van Doe raised his hand and his whole person seemed to have aged even more.

"After exiting this door, you will no longer be a disciple of my Black Flood Party. I will never give you another chance even if you beg me the next time!"

He stared at Garen steadfastly. In his eyes were anger, despondency, sadness, and a trace of plea in the deepest part.

Van Doe had no children in his lifetime. His disciples were his everything. But now, some of them were dead while some of them were sick. Everything he had worked hard for and had nurtured throughout his life seemed just to have just proven his mistake.

He repeated in his heart over and over again that he was right, he was right. However, the calmer Garen's gaze was in front of him, the sadder he was in his heart. He remembered not only his two disciples who had died but also his wife who had died because of him...

Garen looked at the old man who was almost overwhelmed by the war. He himself did not know what he had hoped to see when he returned this time. Did he come back just to have this old man admit his mistake from that time?

Perhaps.

He smiled, turned around and headed outside of the hall.

"So be it," His voice plainly echoed in the hall.

"I tell you! Without Willpower! Do you think other people will really value you!? Don't ever come back once you step out of this door!" The old man's s.h.i.+vering voice came from behind.

Garen did not stop but only paused. Still, his steps slowly moved toward the exit of the court.

A mistake was still a mistake. Many things were lost because of a mistake. Yet he was still reluctant to admit it. This was also the unfortunate part about Van Doe.

Everyone was unwilling to admit that they had done wrong.

The moment he stepped out of the door, Garen did not hear any sound behind him. It was all quiet, a dead silence.

He knew that Van Doe was not feeling sad for him, but he was feeling sad for own life instead. He vainly tried to prove that he himself was right by using coercion and dissuasion on him; to prove that he was without fault and that it was others who were at fault.

"Now, everything should be cleared up," Garen looked up at the artificial sun overhead.

"I should go and see how the progress of that little fellow digging the pit," Garen did not look back and strode to the exit, leaving the underground.

He did not go far before he saw a tall woman in a red, leather fitting-suit standing beside him. The woman had crimson eyes, and her messy shoulder-length black hair gave off a wild aura.

"Red-Eyed Medero?" Garen instantly recognized this person.

"Although I do not know who brought you into Inner Courtyard, but take out your proof of ident.i.ty," Medero specially made this trip for Garen.

She received a report that someone had entered Inner Courtyard in a non-conventional way. After looking at the data, she found out that something was amiss and she quickly rushed over herself.

Suddenly, Medero seemed to hear some sort of voice transmission, and her face instantly relaxed. She gazed deeply at Garen.

"You can go, but don't let me catch you again the next time!"

Garen nodded with a smile.

He stood sideways slightly and glanced behind, knowing that it must have been his senior sister or Van Doe who spoke up to help mediate the situation.

In the end, he did not say anything more. He strode off and walked toward the elevator exit.